SECRETARIAT OF ATTICA

ALL TOGETHER IN THE STRIKE ON JANUARY 17^th

AND IN THE DEMONSTRATION OF PAME AT OMONOIA Sq., 11 a.m.

Working women and men, young people, unemployed people,

            All together in the general strike of Attica (areas of Athens – Piraeus – Lavrio – Elefsina)  on January 17 and in the demonstration of PAME at Omonoia sq., 11 a.m.

            All workplaces across Attica must be “deserted”, the streets must be flooded with people of labour.

            We must overcome the employers’ terrorism, the threats and blackmails of the black front government and their forces within the trade union movement.

            We call upon the trade unions, the Struggle Committees, the Trade Union Committees to take the preparation, organization and success of the strike into their own hands. No working man or woman must be absent. Meetings must take place in every workplace now and collective decisions for the massive participation in the strike and the escalation of the struggle must be taken.

Their own wealth depends on our own poverty.

            The black front of the co-government (PASOK – N.D.- LAOS, social democrats – conservatives – nationalists) with the “blessings” of E.U., local capital and the full support of the bourgeois mass media, brings new measures, impoverishes further the popular family, escalates the ideological terrorism, threatens and blackmails. Industrialists demand more measures. They demand new interventions in the collective agreements with a drastic reduction in salaries and benefits, they require even greater flexibility, drastic cuts in the employers’ contributions for social security (they suggest to start with -10% cut), new tax-exemptions for the capital. 

            The bell tolls for everyone. Unemployment, dismissals, poverty exist in every house and they will continuously grow. The massive unpaid labour and the attack in all sectors are increasing.

We can not stand it any more. We do not deserve a life like this.

We must take the case into our own hands.

All Attica must become “Steel Industry”.  

            There is a way-out from this escalating attack. The solution is neither subjugation, nor cursing of our bad lack from a distance. The workers in the Greek Steel Industry are on strike for more than two months. They refused to be subjugated to rotating labour, to 500 euros wages, to terrorism and mass dismissals. They show the way.   

            The attack of industrialist Manesis, the proprietor of the Greek Steel Industry on labour rights does not only concern the workers of the Steel Industry. It concerns all of us. Manesis works as a pilot in the coordinated attack of the employers against every right of the working class, he tries to implement all the measures that have been decided by his class on every sector and workplace.

            This strike must become the practical response to the generalized attack of the employers at every workplace and simultaneously the expression of solidarity not only with the steel workers, but also with the workers who are in many-day mobilizations in dozens of workplaces all this time.   

            The best expression of solidarity with the struggle of the steel workers on strike, to “multiply” the Steel Industries, workers and trade unions in companies and industries to follow their example. Every workplace must become a castle of resistance.

             On January 17^th no gear must turn. No worker of Attica can go to work.

            We do not have another choice. Either we will bend our heads down and will accept to work permanently for 500 euros, being half-unemployed, unemployed, without rights in order for the profits of monopolies and E.U. to be saved, or we will enter new struggles for the overthrow of the brutal antipopular policy.

            We must all together build a wall of resistance. We have to defend the sectoral Collective Agreements. We must prevent the conversion of workplaces into galleys through the complete deterioration of working relations. We must stop the unpaid labour. We have to obstruct and prevent the dismissals. The struggle for the abolition of the head-fines and of the increased taxation at the expense of the working class must be strengthened.

            We have to defend our children, who they want to work for a piece of bread. We must demand protection measures for the unemployed people. We have to prevent the complete dissolution of the Social Security system.

            Together with PAME for a unified front of resistance everywhere, in factories, in every workplace and neighbourhood, in schools and villages against the escalation of the war unleashed by the employers, government, E.U. Together with PAME for a strong, determined movement of rupture and overthrow.

            The employers’ trade unionism, loyal to the god of the competitiveness of the economy, is ready to contribute to the new attack we receive, helps the employers, says big words but in reality helps the employers in dozens of workplaces (e.g. Steel Industry of Volos).

All together in the path that the steel workers have paved. Athens must tremble! 

Down with the government of the plutocracy, of the huge head-fines and of the increased taxation at the expense of the popular strata. Troika out of Greece. Elections now!

PASOK, N.D. and LAOS must pay; they must be punished by the workers.

ALL TOGETHER IN THE STRIKE ON JANUARY 17

AND IN THE DEMONSTRATION OF PAME AT OMONOIA Sq., 11 a.m.