On Monday 23/5 the GS of the CC of the KKE, Aleka Papariga, visited the Skaramangas shipyard.

The labour movement must raise its head!

On Saturday 21/5 the Prime Minister invited the leaders of the political parties to a meeting, with the aim of ensuring support for the so-called medium-term programme and in order to create a general atmosphere of consent concerning the anti-people measures. The GS of the CC of the KKE did not accept the invitation because the KKE rejects both the so-called medium term programme which the government and its allies have formed as well as its general political line. The KKE is not going to contribute in any way to the political line that massacres working class and popular rights.

On Monday 23/5 the GS of the CC of the KKE, Aleka Papariga, visited the Skaramangas shipyard, where she met with the administrative committee of the union and spoke to a rally of the workers. The recent termination of the contract for the construction of T-214 submarines by the German company HDW is a warning that production in the shipyards will be further reduced. It prepares the ground for cuts in personnel. So, the 1200 and more workers in the shipyards are hostages to the various plans and are the only losers in the massive dealings which go hand in hand with the surrender of strategic sectors of the economy to the transnationals. Immediately after the meeting with the union the GS of the CC of the KKE spoke to the workers and stressed amongst other things that:

“ Greece has an advantage in the shipbuilding and ship-repair sector. It has an advantage. This significant advantage is not only its experience, but the fact that it is one of the countries which is a marine power-2^nd or 3^rd in the world-and consequently there is the basis for much work, more work than it had in the past, and of course more work than it has today. I should tell you that as a party we are interested not only in your situation now, that you not lose your jobs – which of course is of concern to us- but particularly that the shipyards not close. Exactly because we are fighting for a Greece of working class and people’s power. And this Greece, in order to provide prosperity to its people, must utilise its entire productive base which exists particularly in the industry we are discussing.

The labour movement must raise its head, and it will raise its head when every workplace does. It must be made clear: You must draw a line in the sand, either you are in favour of this political line which has been followed for years, this development path or you are against it. You must have a target: The overthrow, I’ll say it very clearly, of the power of the monopolies.”