Al. Papariga: On the privatization of the port of Piraeus (the main port of Greece) and its handover to the Chinese monopoly group COSCO

The struggle against privatization requires the participation of all forces in the struggle. These agreements can be overthrown when the people decides it.

On Friday October 16th the General Secretary of the CC of KKE, Aleka Papariga visited the port of Piraeus to stand by the workers of the Piraeus Port Authority who had been striking for 15 days. She underlined that the struggle against privatization must become an issue for all workers. She also reiterated that KKE is totally opposed to the privatization of the port as well as to all privatizations that must not be legitimized in the consciousness of the people.

The Chamber of Industry and Commerce filled a terrorist lawsuit asking to declare the strike of the workers illegal, to prohibit the extension of the strike and its continuance in general or its repetition in the future so as to present the just struggle against privatization as an act against the law. KKE and PAME stressed that the instigators of this action are ND (conservatives) and the government of PASOK (social-democrats). In addition, they condemned the Chamber of Industry and Commerce and called the port workers not to submit to the dilemmas and continue the struggle against all forms of privatisation.

After 16 days of strike the employer-led majority of the trade union of port workers decided to suspend the strike mobilisations under the pretext of the freezing of COSCO operation for 15 days.

KKE underlines that this decision is a particularly negative development.

It is not a manoeuvre that facilitates the rallying of forces for the struggle to cancel the contract and the privatisation of the port. On the contrary, it facilitates the plans of the government to hand over the port to COSCO. It is not a coincidence that the trade unionists of PASOK and ND negotiated with the government in secret without informing the workers.

The workers in the port of Piraeus, in the shipyard and the ship-repair zone should utilise their own experience. They have to take in mind the fact that there has not been any privatisation which has not affected the basic labour rights.

The block of the privatisation requires a decisive and common struggle for exclusively public ports and shipyards that will serve the needs of the Greek people.

• No negotiation, annulment of the contract.
• Abolition of the laws of ND and PASOK that hand over the ports, the shipyards and the infrastructure of the country to private capital.