Loud strike message for the escalation of the working class struggle against the new round of barbaric measures

A mass militant strike took place in Greece on Tuesday 7/2. It was an immediate dynamic response the morning after the official announcements of the government concerning 20% cuts to the basic wages and corresponding 15% cuts to the supplementary pensions, new reductions of the basic pensions, unemployment benefits, and 150,000 dismissals in the public sector.

In Athens there was a demonstration of thousands of workers despite the rain and in 61 cities all over the country there were large strike rallies. Once again the demonstration of PAME was many times larger than that of GSEE and ADEDY.

A powerful response was given by the class forces, by the All-workers Militant Front across the entire country the moment when all together the general staff of the plutocracy, the government of the black front (social-democrats, liberals and nationalists) and the Troika are feverishly working on the new round of savage measures which bring destitution to the people. This message could not be eliminated by the limited incidents in front of the parliament during the demonstration of GSEE and ADEDY.

It should also be noted that the strike followed the mass and dynamic response given by the KKE with a rally and a march in torrential rain in the evening of Monday 6/2.

The decision for a general strike in the public and private sector was taken by the administrations of GSEE and ADEDY under the suffocating pressure of PAME which had promptly proposed a strike from January onwards, taking decisions in this direction in many trade unions which belong to it. At the same time GSEE and ADEDY through this whole period have actively participated in the manoeuvring to pass the measures through the social dialogue in which they participated.

From the crack of the dawn the class oriented forces guarded the strike in numerous workplaces. Many factories were paralysed despite the employers’ intimidation. At the same time , ports, public transportation and state agencies came to a standstill.

At the demonstration of PAME, Ilias Stamelos, cadre of PAME, who delivered the main speech, condemned the new round of barbaric measures and called on the working class not only to drive out the parties of the government but also to overthrow the class which is in power.

A large delegation of the CC of the KKE, headed by the GS of the CC of the KKE Aleka Papariga, participated in the demonstration. Aleka Papariga made the following statement:

“Now the responsibility lies solely with the people. Either the people will completely sweep them away or they will pointlessly and unfairly waste their tears and indignation on the old and the new pseudo-saviours”.

PAME has announced new demonstrations for Thursday 9/2.

At the same time the day of the strike is also marked by the 100- days continuous and hard strike struggle of the workers in “Greek Steelworks”. Their union organised a popular solidarity concert, at the gate of the factory, calling on all the working people to participate so as to spread the militant message of the striking steelworkers to every workplace.