25th day of the strike at Greek Steelworks

When the machines grind to a halt and class solidarity spreads everywhere

Steeled by the tough struggle which they are waging for 25 days already and armed with the multi-faceted and practical support of workers from every sector, the workers of “Greek Steelworks” in Aspropyrgos, a suburb of Athens, continue their struggle with as an immediate demand the rehiring of their 34 dismissed colleagues. In their resolution they call on the working class, the poor popular strata to support them with whatever available form of solidarity:

“Strengthen our struggle in every way”

“To the working class, the working people.

Colleagues, hear the voice of the steelworkers!

We, the 400 workers of the “GREEK STEELWORKS” (Helliniki Halivourgia) industry, are on strike, like a fist, for the 16^th day. And we continue! We do not move back, we have chosen the path of honour and dignity, to defend the bread and the future of our children.

We do not return to work, in fire and iron, for 500€. We demand, our 34 colleagues, who were laid off, to return to work. Our struggle concerns the whole working class.

The employer of “GREEK STEELWORKS” is the battering ram of the industrialists.

The “GREEK STEELWORKS” is the first industry that attempts to impose 5hour working day with wage cuts, flexible employment relationships, unpaid overtime and to remove social-security rights by blackmailing us with losing our jobs.

The layoffs were carried out in order to terrorize us, because in our General Assembly we unanimously rejected the employers demand to work part-time, 5 hours a day, with a 40% wage cut. At the same time our hard work, increased the production last year from 196,000 to 266,000 tonnes, hard work with daily labour accidents and a dead worker.

The employer’s profits are immense, and he continues to blackmail that if we do not accept his demands to work as slaves, he will lay off 180 more workers.

The steelworkers gave him the right answer. We overcame fear, blackmails, the threat of hunger. We went on strike!

We are standing up. We are already victorious. No one can bend us!

The industrialists, in the factories around, were waiting for us to get tired, to have returned to work with our heads bowed, to have signed to work for 5hours a day. The employer admitted that he did not expect such a struggle! We have proven that workers have endless power. For 16 days, 24hours a day, we guard our strike. They felt our power and we have been taught a lot more. We can distinguish friends from enemies.

We rely on the power of solidarity. Dozens of trade unions supports from day one. PAME stands on our side. Support steelworkers struggle in every way.

For the steelworker there is no turning back!

If we lose, the door opens for 5hour working day and labour jungle to the other factories, which is what the industrialists are waiting for. The steelworkers’ victory will be a victory of the whole working class. That is why we want you on our side.

Enough! Terror, blackmails and the attack against workers shall not pass!

Support the striking steelworkers in all ways possible: resolutions, announcements, press releases by trade unions, neighbourhoods, youth and women organizations, everywhere, outside the Factory’s gate, financial aid and gathering food for the strikers’ families.

We denounce to all workers, the leadership of the Federation of Workers in the Metal Sector, and of the Regional Trade Union of Elefsina, which during those 16 days, not only did they not call a single meeting, in order to organize a solidarity campaign, but they “advise” us to bow our heads, they slander us, they try to divide us. We call on the workers to bypass them and to organize in every workplace.

Victory will be hard, but it will be ours!

STEELWORKERS DO NOT BOW THEIR HEADS

ALONGSIDE THE PEOPLE-RESISTANCE AND STRUGGLE

ASPROPYRGOS 15 NOVEMBER 2011”

The response to the strikers’ message has embraced the working class of Greece and has also had an international impact. The strengthening of genuine class proletarian solidarity and support for the workers of “Greek Steelworks” constitutes an important pillar and support for continuation of the tough struggle which they have been waging for 22 days and has become a lesson regarding the organization of the class struggle of the workers which strengthens their inexhaustible and boundless power. Together with workers’ unions from other sectors, the solidarity is expressed on a daily basis by poor farmers, self-employed, students, young people, school students and women of the poor popular strata. Trade unions, struggle committees, student unions and school student councils demonstrate in a practical way their full support. The solidarity is truly moving. Food, money, clothes, and whatever the strikers need in their tough confrontation with the plutocracy are supplied directly by their own class. The workers of “Greek Steelworks” have received the solidarity of workers from many countries all over the world for the proud struggle they are waging.

The first solidarity messages for the struggle of the workers at GS have come from:

1. Engineering Workers Union, Palestine
2. General Union of Workers, Palestine
3. General Confederation of Workers, Pakistan.
4. From 35 workers of the Factory council of Mercedes Benz in Bremen
5. New Communist Party of the Netherlands
6. Russian Communist Workers’ Party –Revolutionary Party of Communists
7. Trade Union International of the Metal Sector