PAME in the congress of SOSYAL Is, Turkey

Δημοσιεύτηκε στις

PAME took part in the congress of Sosyal Is Union of Turkey, which took place in January 11-12 in Ankara.

Photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmKDwn6o

PAME in its speech noted:

“On behalf of the Greek class trade unions, PAME, a member of the WFTU, we are very honored to be with you today in the Congress of SOCIAL IS, our brothers and sisters the workers of Turkey.

First of all, we want to thank you for your solidarity and support for the struggles and actions of PAME and the Greek trade unions, but also for your personal presence in various initiatives we have taken in Greece. From this step we express our solidarity with your great struggles against the redundancies in Aydin, in Bus drivers, at KOD-a, at Lufthansa Telecom, the LEROY MERLIN etc.

Colleagues, it is of the utmost importance for us, for the Greek class unions, especially today with the dangerous developments in the Middle East, within the competitions of the imperialist organizations, it is important for us to be today with you in Turkey. For us, for the class unions, the nationalism, xenophobia, racism, and calls for war of the bourgeoisie of Turkey and Greece are enemies of the workers of all countries. We are clear when we talk to workers in our country and say that the workers in Greece and Turkey are brothers. We have nothing to divide. Our common adversary is exploitation and imperialism. Our common enemies are the monopolies, the multinationals that lay off workers and cut our salaries. Our common enemies are Governments that attack against the pensions and social insurance rights of workers in every country.

Governments defend the bosses’ profits with authoritarianism and oppression, by attacking trade unions, by arresting trade unionists, by banning strikes. It is no coincidence that in Greece the attack to abolish the remaining workers’ social insurance rights, and to completely privatize social insurance, to impose flexible working relations, and abolish collective contracts, goes along with restrictions on trade union activity, control to union members, banning of demonstrations and strikes.

In this anti workers’ attack, bosses and governments in Greece and Europe have found valuable allies in the trade unions of the European Trade Union Confederation-ETUC. For example, the GSEE-member of the ETUC in Greece, on the one hand, accepted and signed a 32% cut in the minimum salary. On the other hand, in agreement and cooperation with the employers, they transformed a number of trade unions into mechanisms of the employers, where the trade union President is also the company manager. GSEE Press Secretary himself is an employer and a shareholder in a number of companies. They even reached the point of using bodyguards and police in the trade union congresses against the real workers.

These tactics were supported by the ETUC and ITUC, demonstrating that they would defend the employers’ and their mechanisms inside the unions in every possible way. This is the role of the ETUC. Instead of workers’ interests and class struggle, the ETUC promotes the logic of class cooperation, social peace, which means turning the unions into bureaucratic mechanisms in the service of the employers. It means no struggles, no action, no conflict with the employers.

Opposite to this rottenness of employers’ people within the unions we have the positive examples of the militant class unions that are a source of hope, resistance and struggle. Despite the difficulties and the negative correlation, PAME has taken a number of initiatives in recent years to defend the lives and rights of workers. It was at the forefront of more than 50 General Strikes in Greece over the past decade against the anti-labor attack, the memoranda. PAME took the initiative to mass unions, to reinforce their militant characteristics. It opposed imperialist interventions and wars, with a firm front against nationalism, racism. PAME stands next to refugees and immigrants. While we are steadfastly focused on developing initiatives of coordination and solidarity with the struggles of the peoples.

We are proud of our joint initiatives with trade unions of the Balkans and in particular with Turkey. For the participation of SOSIAL-Is in the joint actions of friendship and cooperation between the peoples of the Balkans and the Mediterranean. Initiatives and actions that were and are a response to the dangerous plans of our governments.

At the same time, especially in the multinational sectors, there is a need to strengthen the struggle of workers to see new coordination initiatives and joint action at European level. In this respect, the support and assistance of the World Federation of Trade Unions is important, as it is now seen in France, with the huge strikes lead by the trade unions affiliated with the WFTU.

Dear colleagues, we know that we are in difficult and dark times. But no matter how much they try to convince us that their system is all-powerful, we know that WE have the power. We have the weapons of collectivity, of mass action. We have the weapons of solidarity and internationalism. We have the World Federation of Trade Unions. And with these weapons we will intensify the fight to abolish exploitation of man by man. We will step up the fight to do what the great NazimHikmet said, for “the light to vanquish the darkness.”

Long live SOSYAL Is

Long live the friendship of the peoples

Long live WFTU”

 

 

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