The steel workers won’t be terrorised– we continue with more strength!

Announcement of the Board of the Trade Union of Workers in Helleniki Hallivourgia

The Board of the Trade Union of Workers in Helliniki Hallivourgia in an announcement on the occasion of the recent attempts by employer and his mechanisms to “break” the struggle of the steelworkers, says:

“We denounce the employers, who through various means, lies, lawsuits, and use of the Justice Department attempt to stop our honest and heroic struggle. We declare unanimously that we will not allow anyone to undermine such a strike struggle, which has been embraced and supported by the whole working class.

We denounce the coalition government, PASOK(social- democrats)- Nea Dimokratia(neoliberals), because while the industrialist Manesis(the owner of the factory) continues to dismiss workers and demands the rest to work with 500 and 400 euro wages, they give him permission to build a private port to make more profits while, he does not satisfy none of the demands set by the striking steelworkers all this time. Through a recent press release it was revealed that Manesis got a 265 million euro loan for his business and after this, he went on to layoffs and to the demand of 5-hour workday. With this also, it is confirmed that both government and employers are enemies of the workers.

Now, as it appears, Manesis having planned to make new business deals, is under pressure. He will do everything he can to get the factory working. That is why he has set mechanisms in motion, in order to terrorize us. But he is mistaken, because now we will continue more determined, we are ready for this new attack.

The propaganda spread through his mechanism about “invalid” assemblies, are nonsense and prove his panic. No other strike has been decided and organized so collectively and clearly as the strike of the steelworkers.

In 121 days there have been 11 assemblies with the participation from 220 to 280 employees. This means that the steelworkers, about every 10 days, in their assemblies, discuss, decide and organize collectively every step of their struggle. No action is done without the approval of the Board which meets almost every day and organizes the implementation of decisions of the assemblies.

On the side of the Board various committees, redundant committees, solidarity committees, women’s committees work together. Dozens of other strikers take part in the daily safeguarding of the strike, in visits to factories and companies. They call employees to express support and solidarity, they strive to bring the spark of strike in other workplaces. Every colleague has the right to speak his mind freely, this is happening since the beginning.

Colleagues

The steelworkers have been fighting for their right; they have been giving for more than 4 months a heroic struggle. Whatever they have to say, they say it freely, they have nothing to hide, no secrets. The talks about “secrets” are propaganda, they are the employer’s way to defile our struggle “.” We call the colleagues who are confused by Manesis’ mechanism, not to fall for it. We tell them from the coming storm, no one will escape just because he will bow his head. A proof to this is that some of the colleagues, who voted against the continuation of the strike, today they were laid off.

Thousands of workers from all over Greece, from all over the world have come to the factory gates to express their solidarity with us. This is positive and this should be done in each and every struggle. Like Manesis who in his attack against us is supported by all industrialists and the government, so should every workplace or sector in struggle be supported by the whole working class, to have results. We call you to strengthen your solidarity with our struggle, because this is our basic support. For the direction of our struggle, no one else but we the steelworkers decide on, through our general assemblies, through the meetings of our Trade Union Board. The accusations spread through Manesis’ mechanism against the workers who express their solidarity, who have embraced our struggle and that have made it their own, are unacceptable and libellous. We call all the colleagues to isolate all those who express such opinions, opinions not even Manesis himself dared openly to express. .

Colleagues

We declare that this effort, like any provocation, will be crushed against a steel wall, the united will of the striking steelworkers and the solidarity of all workers.

Now we continue stronger. Now that the employer´s actions show panic, now that the employer wants to expand the business through the private port too, now that the government is even more revealed, none of us has the right to back down. We keep on more militantly, we strengthen our safeguarding and vigilance, because now the struggle is getting tougher and more difficult.

The steelworkers will not be terrorised, they have learned to work day and night in fire. We warn in all directions that against every attempt of intimidation, oppression, the steelworkers and the whole working class will be united.

Colleagues

We call you to get more massively involved in the planned events and visits to factories and to the concert we have organized on Sunday March 4 at 12 noon at the factory gates.

We continue till the final victory.

The Board of the Trade Union of Workers in Helliniki Hallivourgia . “