STOP to the new anti-workers monstrosity of the government!

ALL in the strike on September 21 in every city of the country!

 SPOT

The Greek Prime Minister announced a policy of savage austerity for the coming months, he announced a wage and pension freeze and only some crumbs for those affected by the floods and wildfires.

A harsh winter awaits our people, with the inflation on basic goods crushing people’s incomes. In view of the destruction of agricultural and livestock production in Thessaly, the price of all basic foods, bread, milk, oil, cheese, etc. will rise even more. Executives of business groups in industry and retail in their statements estimate that there will be a new round of increases, in the coming days, in the prices of basic products, from 10% to 50%.

Alongside this juggernaut, the government is proceeding with the voting in the Parliament of September 21 of a new monster bill that imposes 13-hour work days, 78-hour work weeks, proceeds to abolish the work break, a number of benefits as a result of the dominance of new flexible forms of employment, they want to abolish the five-day work week and Sunday holiday in more sectors such as the food industry. Also the bill further criminalises the right to strike and trade union action.

Instead of basic measures to protect the people, the government announced even greater armaments to involve the country in imperialist plans and accelerated procedures for the disbursement of huge sums of money from the Recovery Fund and other EU programs to advance capital’s goals of “green growth” and greater profitability in the ruins left by their criminal policies.

In this effort by the Government the GSEE (member of ETUC in Greece) did not call for strike action. Instead its president, although he admitted that the bill further criminalises the right to strike, he claimed that the bill has been improved with the input of comments and corrections the GSEE gave during the consultation process.

This policy will advance through greater flexibility in work and the intensification of exploitation, through the thousands of auctions of people’s homes, through the concentration of land and production in the hands of the bankers and business groups, through the further impoverishment of large sections of our people.

It is typical how the government sees ‘development’ for the people, while the business groups will gather new huge profits. With minimum employment contracts, zero hours, workers will suffer in conditions of great poverty and will not be entitled to unemployment benefits and more.

We tell them plainly. The government and media’s attempt to stop the immediate demands to protect our people’s incomes and lives will not go away. They are deluded if they think they will succeed.

In the face of the new antiworkers’ attack, trade unions and workers all over the country must strengthen the fighting and demanding front for immediate measures:

Significant increases in wages and pensions.

To unfreeze now the three-year-work benefits for all workers and retroactively from 2012, without terms and conditions.

Abolish VAT and other unfair indirect taxes on food and other basic items such as water, energy and fuel.

Big price cuts and a cap on the prices of all these basic goods for the working and popular family and not the mockery and blackmail measures imposed by the government.

100% compensation, immediate and full restoration with real protection for all those who were sunk in the mud and rubble by the criminal policy of profit with the floods

Immediate measures to protect the health of the people of Thessaly.

STOP to the new anti-workers monstrosity of the government.

ALL in the strike on September 21 in every city of the country!

The anger and grief to become struggle!

To strengthen solidarity and claim for the victims of Thessaly and for those who suffer from the criminal policy of the government!

Strike Decisions have been taken by Regional Unions for the cities and regions of

Athens

Piraeus

Patras

Giannena

Larissa

Corfu

Lavrio

Arta

Dodecanese

Imathia

Lefkada

Lesvos

Zante

Kefallonia-Ithaka

Amaliada

Lamia

Fokida

Samos

Thesprotia

Thebes

Evia

National Federations of workers in

Food and Drink Industries

Pharmaceutical

Energy

Metal

Miners

Accountants

Textile

Chemical Industries

Press and Paper

Public Services

Construction

The National Unions of Maritime Workers

PEMEN

STEFENSON

PEEMAGEN

Also Hundreds of Local and Business level Unions have joined the strike call and more Regional Unions and National Federations join every hour!