Solidarity with the strike of the steelworkers: mass demonstrations of PAME across the country

The brutal operation of the government which attempted to repress the struggle of the steelworkers met the response of the class oriented labour movement though the mass demonstrations of solidarity with the strike of the workers in Greek Steelworks which were organized by PAME.

On Friday 20th July the government of ND-PASOK-DIMAR attempted to break the heroic 9-month strike of the steelworkers by means of a criminal attack of repression forces which was accompanied by the use of chemicals, beatings and arrests.

The response of the steelworkers was decisive: at the mass General Assembly of their union on Saturday 21st June they decided to continue the strike with 164 votes in favour and 5 against.

On Monday 23rd July the forces of repression carried out two more assaults against the strikers in front of the factory’s gate which is occupied by the riot police forces. At the same time, almost all bourgeois media escalate their dirty attack in order to slander the struggle of the struggle, utilizing a handful of strikebreakers, managers and executives.

A first answer was given by the particularly mass demonstrations of solidarity that took place in Athens, Thessalonica, Patras, Xanthi, Drama, Naousa, Skydra, Serres, Mudania, Katerini, Veria, Kilkis, Kozani, Prolemaida, Florina, Kastoria, Grevena, Komotini, Alexandroupoli, Gianena, Preveza, Arta, Agrinio, Lefkada, Chalkida, Volos, Larissa, Karditsa, Trikala, Tripolis, Sparta,Pirgos, Nafplio, Kalamata, Korinthos, Livadia, Amfissa, Itea, Lamia, Mitilini, Heraklion, Chania, Lasitihi while demonstrations in Thiva and Kavala are scheduled for today.

The strike in Steelworks has a general importance, evolves into a general class confrontation with the coalition of capitalists and their government who threaten the working class that their policy will be implemented by all means. From this viewpoint the internationalist solidarity which is expressed through tens of messages by Communist and Workers’ Parties, Trade Unions, Federations as well as by the Greek immigrants who organized protests at a series of Greek consulates and embassies is of particular importance.