Dear comrades
We would like to thank the CTC and the Cuban workers for their warm hospitality. Allow us to express our deep sorrow for the loss of Comandante Fidel, the leader of the Cuban revolution. Fidel, was a symbol of the struggle of the workers and peoples of all the world against imperialism.
From where we are today, we express our Solidarity with the heroic Cuban people in their struggle for Socialism against the murderous embargo of the imperialists, for the right of all the peoples to decide for their own future. PAME was, is and will be firmly on the side of your people, alongside with the revolution.
Dear comrades,
We are glad that the WFTU Presidential Council is meeting today, few months after the successful 17th World Trade Union Congress in Durban, South Africa. We believe that the dynamic of the Congress, the hard preparation work of the comrades from South Africa, the Congress’s decisions, the leadership that was elected, have already given positive signs.
We, also, had the honor of the newly elected President of the WFTU, Comrade Mike, addressing the 4th National Congress of PAME that was held in November in Athens. Despite the difficult political and economic conditions in Greece, as well as the general negative situation of the trade union movement in Europe, the Congress of PAME was held with the participation of over 1200 elected representatives, more than 500 trade unions of all sectors, the private and public sector. Despite our weaknesses, which we have identified and will give the battle to overcome, the discussion at our Congress addressed the issue of how to improve the intervention of our forces at sectoral level.
As you know, the Greek governments, together with the EU and the IMF, have imposed barbaric anti-people measures over the last ten years. Two years ago, the SYRIZA government came into power, a party that used a “left” mask and pro-people slogans, but lied to the people. It cultivated illusions that with SYRIZA in Government, we would have different policies; restoration of wages, of pensions, and rights that were abolished. But SYRIZA’s only promises held were those to the multinationals, to the big capital. SYRIZA imposed a new memorandum on the people, with new wage-cuts, new pension-cuts, new brutal taxation. At the same time SYRIZA gives privileges and tax exemptions to the industrialists and the bankers. In fact, with this government, the phenomena of violence and repression against workers’ struggles are again increasing, and the persecutions against the leadership of PAME have returned.
Now a new agreement between SYRIZA and the EU-IMF is prepared for a new slaughter of wages, pensions, rights, while a special goal is set to abolish our trade union rights and freedoms.
In implementing this policy, the SYRIZA Government has a loyal ally among the members of the ETUC in Greece, GSEE-ADEDY. Not only they do not organize struggles against anti-workers’ policies, but recently they have agreed with employers to keep the already cut wages to hunger levels. At the same time, they discriminate against young workers, who are paid even less than the minimum wage.
Faced with this situation, our Congress concluded that the priority of class Trade Unions should be the best organization of the working class in the sectors, in big factories and companies. This is why, comrades, we think that the comments on the situation in TUIs are very important. We, as PAME, have tried to help the WFTU’s work in various TUIs, sometimes with weaker, sometimes with better results. It is not an easy job, it is faced with enormous challenges and difficulties, and we understand those comrades and trade unions that, despite their many hard efforts, face many obstacles. This is why, as PAME, we will work closely with comrade DevRoy, who is in charge of TUI’s work from the WFTU Secretariat, as well as with comrade Pacho, who has a great experience in the works of the TUIs.
But comrades, we think that some issues can be solved. Some basic steps can be made. Such a key issue is the relationship between the TUIs and the WFTU. We think it is self-evident that the TUIs of WFTU must have WFTU’s logo on their websites, in their announcements, in their events. Do they have in their documents, the issues related to the activity and the initiatives of the WFTU? For example, how many TUIs, which held a meeting recently, included in the discussion their report of the WTFU Congress? For example, at the recent meeting of the European Regional Office, there was a good discussion on this issue.
A second issue that arises from the above is, of course, how many of the TUIs actually have action. How many of them meet, discuss, plan and implement. How many TUIs have an overview of developments in their Sector at a global level and not just in some countries. How many have an overview of the dominant monopolies, of the struggles that are being developed in them, and the potential to intervene and strengthen these struggles. To send messages of Solidarity and support such struggles. For example, in the TUI Agro, there was specific discussion on the struggles in Coca Cola Company.
It is very important for the class trade unions, to be aware of such developments, to know the action, the capital’s arguments from country to country. For example, in Greece recently, we held a strike in Shipyards. We had invited the trade union of Metal of Turkey to the strike. The companies in Greece were telling to the Greek workers not to go on strike otherwise the shipyards will be transferred to Turkey. The colleague from Turkey told us that “in Turkey employers tell us: do not ask for wage raises, because we will transfer the shipyards in Greece”. This common experience was a very important weapon for the metal workers both in Greece and Turkey.
Taking into consideration all the above, we believe that the issues raised in the introduction, as well as the proposals and the initiatives taken, we believe they are correct. We agree with the proposal for the creation of a new TUI of WFTU in Textile, Garment and Leather Industry. It is a major sector with workers in bad working conditions and the WFTU needs to organize the struggle of these workers as well.
Concluding, it would be an omission not to talk about the issue of the imperialist wars, the interventions and the consequences that they bring to the peoples. It is obvious that the risks for our peoples to face such situation are growing. It is important to understand the causes of the wars that are the same as the causes that give rise to the problems of the workers in the period of capitalist peace. The wars take place under the contradictions, the conflicts, the competitions of the capitalists to grab the wealth of each country, to increase their profits.
In such situations, at the end the capital is the winner and the peoples the losers, who give their blood, who are forced to become refugees. The major issue is that the workers in each country must fight under the flag of their own interests, which cannot be satisfied under the dominance of the capital, neither during the period of capitalist peace, nor when war conflicts break out.
In any case, what can lead the working class’s life forward is the strengthening t of the necessity to find itself in the forefront of the developments, to seal and to define its future based on what it needs.
In this direction, the Trade Unions, the Federations, the Labour Centers, which rally with PAME, have launched a series of initiatives, within the framework of the WFTU Campaign for Solidarity with the Palestinian people in Athens and many other cities. We organized event of solidarity with the people of Syria. And last week we intervened at the Foreign Ministry of Greece and the Embassy of Israel in so as to visit the Palestinian political prisoners, in hunger strike in the jails of Israel.
On May 1st, we held large strike rallies all over Greece under the slogan “With the workers of all countries for a world without exploitation, wars, refugees!” On May 1st in Greece and in coordination with other countries of the Balkans and the Mediterranean, we drafted a joint resolution against the imperialist plans in the region. We will organize a big Balkan Antiwar Antiimperialist Festival-Action of Trade Unions in the city of Thessaloniki on 24-25 June, with a big demonstration at the NATO headquarters in Thessaloniki on 24th June. All this action we want to raise solidarity, internationalism, alertness of the working class against the imperialist plans. At the same time, this is also an initiative of support to the WFTU, of coordination and development of its forces in the region.
Also, comrades, there was big discussion about the role of “progressive” Governments. Progressive Governments promote capitalism. In many countries of the world the progressive Governments impose antiworkers’ measures and memoranda. Great example of this is Greece.
Against the new antiworkers’ measures of the Tsipras Government in Greece, we go forward with a new National General Strike on May 17.
So as to give response to the Greek Government, the EU, the Big Capital for the measures that destroy the lives of the workers and the popular strata
We continue! On the path of Struggle! On the path of the great heroes of the working class! The path of Fidel and Che! The path for the abolition of exploitation!
Viva Solidarity!
Viva the Working Class of Cuba!
Viva the WFTU!
