Category: PAME
Thousands of workers across Greece joined PAME demonstrations against the government’s new bill
worker | January 15, 2018 | 10:06 pm | Greece, PAME | Comments closed

Monday, January 15, 2018

Thousands of workers across Greece joined PAME demonstrations against the government’s new bill

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2018/01/thousands-of-workers-across-greece.html
A powerful message to the coalition government of SYRIZA-ANEL as well as to the employers was sent by thousands of workers, students, pensioners and unemployed people who joined the demonstrations organised by the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) across Greece. 
 
In Athens and other Greek cities numerous rallies took place against the new antiworkers’ governmental bill which was passed today by a majority of deputies at the Parliament. The bill includes an amendment which aims to abolish the sacred right of the working people to strike.
In Athens and Thessaloniki thousands of protesters marched in the streets shouting “Hands off the right of strike”, condemning also the sellout pro-governmental trade-unionism of GSEE and ADEDY which continuously undermine the labor movement’s rights.
 
Below you can see photos from the demonstrations as they were published in 902 portal. 
 
In Thessaloniki:
 
 
 
Hands Off the Right of Strike: Militant demonstrations across Greece against Government, EU and Capitalists
worker | January 12, 2018 | 7:17 pm | Communist Party Greece (KKE), Greece, PAME, Syriza | Comments closed

Friday, January 12, 2018

Hands Off the Right of Strike: Militant demonstrations across Greece against Government, EU and Capitalists

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2018/01/hands-off-right-of-strike-militant.html
Militant strike demonstrations took place earlier on Friday in Athens, Thessaloniki and other cities in Greece, as thousands of workers gave a decisive response against the antipeople-antiworkers’ plans of the government, the EU and the big capital.
In Athens, the demonstrators gathered at Omonoia square and marched through the center’s major streets. The KKE General Secretary Dimitris Koutsoumbas attended the rally, while the demonstrators announced a resolution regarding the prosecution of the palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi by the Israeli authorities.
The All-Workers Militant Front (PAME), which leads powerful class-oriented trade unionist activities against the new bill submitted in the Parliament by the SYRIZA-ANEL coalition government, commented:
PAME welcomes the workers who went on strike across Greece and defied employers’ intimidations and pressures in the workplaces. The workers who overcame the undermining of the strike by the unions controlled by the employers and the government. The workers who massively participated in the strike rallies Regional Trade Union Centers, National Federations and Industrial Unions, against the new antiworkers’ measures of the SYRIZA-ANEL Government that were submitted to Parliament today.
With today’s strike, a clear message was sent that we will not Surrender our trade union rights and freedoms and the right to strike to the employers and their state.
PAME’s big strike demonstrations across Greece were the continuation of the militant actions of the last period. They were massive and militant mobilizations against the antiworkers’ government, which along with the other bourgeois political parties have voted the memorandums, against the dirty role of their forces in the trade union movement. That’s why they attacked with lies against PAME, against the class-oriented movement.
Anti-workers measures are prerequisites for the growth of their profits and needs, for the capitalist development. That is why the capitalists directed the measures to be brought by the government as “long-term demands of the business community”, demanding them to vote in favour of the bill. Together with them are their people in the trade union movement, the right hand of the bosses. GSEE-ADEDY-members of the ETUC in Greece – fought furiously against the proposals for strike, they made every effort in order to pass the bill in silence without any resistance. Today, they did no tstrike and went to work.
We continue our fight! We will not stop!
On Monday 15/1 day of voting in the Parliament, PAME calls workers, unemployed, retired, youth in big Demonstration.
“Hands Off the Right of Strike”: PAME unionists and workers stormed the Ministry of Labour in Athens
worker | January 9, 2018 | 9:04 pm | Greece, Labor, PAME | Comments closed

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

“Hands Off the Right of Strike”: PAME unionists and workers stormed the Ministry of Labour in Athens

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2018/01/hands-off-right-of-strike-pame.html
A strong message to the SYRIZA-ANEL coalition government was sent by trade unionists and workers who broke into the Ministry of Labour, after a request to meet with officials was turned down. 
 
The mobilization of numerous labour and workers’ unions and associations began at Omonoia square in downtown Athens on Tuesday morning and ended at the Ministry of Labour where members of PAME unfolded a huge banner with the slogan “Government-big capital-EU, pay attention: Get your dirty hands off the strike. It is a workers’ right”. 
When the demonstration arrived at the Labour Ministry, the representatives of the workers asked for a meeting with the Minister Effie Achtsioglou. The Ministry declined to answer and the workers opened the metal shutters of the building in, racing up to the eighth floor of the building. 
 
Keeping a defiant stance, Minister Effie Achtsioglou (left)
argues with trade unionists and workers in her office.
Representatives of PAME and other trade unions confronted Minister Achtsioglou and other officials, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the new ombibus bill which includes amendment that restricts significantly the right of strike. 
 
The workers said that the right of strike has been a very important conquest of the working class which was achieved through difficult and continuous struggles. 
 
Minister Achtsioglou kept an unacceptably defiant stance responding with a plain “no” to the demands of the trade unionists and denied to respond to a series of issues set by PAME members. 
 
“We will not let them to do it” said the President of the Pensioner’s Federation Dimos Koumpouris and added: “We will continue our struggle in every way”. 
 
The All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) have called workers, youth, pensioners, the unemployed, farmers, the self-employed, all the people to massive, militant action in response to the new antipeople-antiworkers measures of the government. A strike has been scheduled for Friday 12 January. 
 
 

Greek workers on the streets: Action and strike on January 12th against the new antipeople measures
worker | January 8, 2018 | 9:02 pm | Greece, PAME, Syria | Comments closed

Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Greek workers on the streets: Action and strike on January 12th against the new antipeople measures

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2018/01/greek-workers-on-streets-action-and.html

The All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) calls workers, youth, pensioners, the unemployed, farmers, the self-employed, all the people to massive, militant action. The government brings a new series of anti-workers measures. They must receive a dynamic response.

The SYRIZA-ANEL Government are imposing the demands of big capital, bringing a new round of measures of “fiscal adjustment” and of suppression of workers’-people’s struggles, with number one goal to ban our right to strike, and also to expand auctioning off of workers houses, so as to protect the profitability of business groups.
Tomorrow we walk the streets of struggle. We take part in the militant initiatives of the Trade Unions, Federations, Regional Trade Union Centers and other associations of the movement, till the day they bring the new measures to be voted in the parliament.
PAME also calls the trade unions to support the call of the National Workers’ Federations and Regional Trade Union Centers for National General Strike and to increase participation decisions for Friday, January 12th, the day when the new measures will be brought in the Parliament.
Program of Actions
Tuesday 9/1
In the afternoon PAME will organize rallies in Athens and other cities.
All day to be day of mass campaign to inform the workers in the factories, the industries, the offices, every workplace.
Wednesday 10/1
Continue the mass campaign to inform the workers and hold meetings and general assemblies in the work places.
In the afternoon massive protest demonstration at the Courts, which forward the auctions of people’s homes.
Thursday, 11/1
Day of preparation for the Strike. We use every way for the call of the strike to reach every worker, in every workplace.
“Hands off Strike: It is a workers’
right”. Banner by PAME.

FRIDAY 12/1 IS DAY OF STRIKE

We call all workers to take part in the Strike decided by the workers’ National Federations, Regional Trade Union Centers and Trade Unions. 12:00 noon at Omonoia Square in Athens and at the Venizelos’ statue in Thessaloniki.
Saturday and Sunday 13-14/1
The Unions to organize massive campaign of information of the workers in the neighborhoods and the workplace
Monday 15/1
On Monday 15/1 day that the measures will be voted in the Parliament, PAME calls workers, unemployed, retired, youth in a big rally demonstration in Athens at 6:00 pm. 
Workers in Greece respond with new nationwide strike to the antipeople policy of SYRIZA government
worker | January 4, 2018 | 7:18 pm | Greece, Labor, PAME, Syriza | Comments closed

Thursday, January 4, 2018

Workers in Greece respond with new nationwide strike to the antipeople policy of SYRIZA government

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2018/01/workers-in-greece-respond-with-new.html
The Greek Government of SYRIZA (which is in alliance with the far-right ANEL party) prepares the escalation of the attack against the workers and the popular strata of Greece.
The last memorandum with its new prerequisites leads to a new round of attack against the life of the working-people families, as over the next few months the government is to complete a massive amount of anti-peoples’ measures so as to declare the supposed “end of the memorandums”. Measures already agreed with the EU-IMF-ECB and which are demanded by the industrialists, ship-owners, the bankers etc, since they serve their competitiveness and profits.
The “end of the memorandums” described by the government, is based on the countless antiworkers laws of the previous years that have come to stay, as well as on the continuous measures that the SYRIZA-ANEL government carries out every three months. The “end of the memorandums” which the government declares in its fiestas across Greece are empty words, with only purpose to put the workers to sleep.
The recovery of the economy promised by the government means further intensification of the exploitation to create attractive environment for all kinds of “investors”.
As much as the government claims that there is “light in the end of the tunnel” for the people, reality denies it. Their plans to ban the right to go on strike, to mute every voice that complains, demands and struggles, only confirms the commitments that the Government has made to the industrialists, the shipowners, the big business groups.
Antiworkers measures and oppression go hand in hand!
The imposition of anti-peoples’ policies goes hand in hand with the intensification of authoritarianism and repression. They try to stop the struggles of the working class. They want to raise obstacles and put restrictions on trade union action of the workers. They want to put their hands on the unions.
With a recent government law, the action of those who resist auctions (the confiscation of indebted workers’ houses by the banks), those who protest, those who are trying to prevent this injustice, is criminalized, as the struggle to protect the workers’ homea is considered a felony!
This is a decisive step for the complete elimination of the strike right, when already under the current legislation framework, today in Greece 90% of the strikes are called illegal and abusive. The aim of the Government is to weaken and disarm the workers’ movement, the trade unions, to deliver the workers slaves and disorganized to the appetites of the business groups.
The government chooses to strike the working class at the primary level of organization, within the enterprise, the factory, where intimidations are stronger with threats and pressures. Inside where the exploitation is born, the area that is the source of profitability.
The right to strike is non-negotiable! Our class has conquered it with countless sacrifices and blood! We will not allow to anyone to touch it!
Behind the smiles of PM Alexis Tsipras and
Minister of Labour Effie Achtsioglou, a fierce
attack on workers’ rights is underway.
The last developments also revealed the black coalition of the Greek government and the capitalists with certain forces within the trade unions. In the proposal of PAME for workers’ response to the new measures with National General Strike, the GSEE and ADEDY (members of ETUC in Greece) refused!
The same forces made whatever they could a few weeks before to undermine the General Strike of December 14. They do everything to prevent the organization of demands in the workplace. They cultivate defeatism and send the workers away from the trade unions.
With their attitude, they not only help and support the government, by giving space and time for a series of reactionary, anti-workers’ reforms to pass without resistance, but they also prove their full agreement and identification, to the demands of the industrialists and the big capitalists, their alliance with all the parties that support the system of exploitation.
We call the workers and their unions to take the situation in their hands. To strengthen the struggle, with action and initiatives in the industries and the workplaces. To strengthen mass procedures, their General Assemblies, meetings.
We call on the Regional Labor Centers and the National Federations to take decisions for General Strike when the government brings bil with the antiworkers measures to the Parliament.
We are fighting and demanding
The reestablishment of minimum wage on the levels it was before. The reestablishment of Sectoral and Branch Level Collective Contracts. Increases in wages, pensions and social benefits, to recover the losses, and basic needs.
To put an end to all antiworkers’ laws and measures, the memorandums.
No house of working-class families falls into the hands of a banker.
Stop constant taxing
We are fighting because we have to defend our only weapon, our right to strike, organization, collective struggle and action.
We fight because we do not tolerate employers’ intimidations and repression in the workplace!
We fight to strengthen the struggles against privatizations, against the delivery of public wealth to business groups.
Every factory and place of work, each neighborhood to become the core of action and resistance, so that not only the new measures will not pass, but also with our struggle the previous ones to be abolished.
No worker, no unemployed person should be fooled and believe that the attack will stop, that someone else will stop it for us. Only the organized class struggle of the working people can overturn this situation.
We have the power, the right! Everybody in the fight!
PAME denounces the persecution of palestinian teen Ahed Tamimi by the state of Israel
worker | January 2, 2018 | 7:24 pm | Israel, Palestinian struggle for equality, PAME, police terrorism, Syriza | Comments closed

Tuesday, January 2, 2018

PAME denounces the persecution of palestinian teen Ahed Tamimi by the state of Israel

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2018/01/pame-denounces-state-of-israel-for.html
Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi, 16.
The Youth Secretariat of the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) denounces the murderer-state of Israel, which, once again revealed its barbarous face by arresting and imprisoning young children simply because they are defending their homes.
The arrest and charging with 12 accusations against 16-year-old Palestinian Ahed Tamimi, from an Israeli military court, is one more proof for all those who, together with the USA and Israel, talk about “Democracy and Freedom,” and imposing their “right” with military courts, imprisonment and murder of young children. 
It is a proof against the SYRIZA-ANEL government, which speaks of Peace and stability in the region, and builds relations with murderer states like Israel, which imprisons and murders young children, while the SYRIZA-ANEL Government continues to refrain from recognizing the Palestinian state.
The imprisonment of 16-year-old Palestinian is an attack against any young person struggling for his right to education, to work. It is an attack on the right of every young person to live in his country without imperialist interventions and wars.
The struggle of the Palestinian people for their children to live freely, in their own state with East Jerusalem as capital, is also a struggle for the young workers of Greece.
We express our solidarity with the Palestinian youth struggling against Israeli occupation and demand the immediate release of the 16-year-old and her family. We are strengthening our Solidarity with the Palestinian people
Youth Secretariat of PAME. 
PAME: Intervention at the Euro Mediterranean Trade Union Meeting in Marseille (English / Français)
worker | December 19, 2017 | 7:12 pm | PAME | Comments closed

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

PAME: Intervention at the Euro Mediterranean Trade Union Meeting in Marseille (English / Français)

https://communismgr.blogspot.com/2017/12/pame-intervention-at-euro-mediterranean.html
Intervention at the Euro Mediterranean Trade Union Meeting held in Marseille, France 14-15/12/2017.
Dear colleagues,
On behalf of PAME (All Workers Militant Front), the class oriented trade unions movement of Greece, I salute today’s, big meeting of the trade unions of South Europe and the Mediterranean. It’s our great pleasure to be here with you, our class brothers the same moment that in Greece the banners of PAME and WFTU are flooding the streets, today December 14, day of big General Strike.
A few months ago, when here in Marseille you organized a very big strike rally, a delegation of PAME was right here with you and expressed in action the solidarity of the class oriented trade unions of Greece along with the struggle of the working class of France and the GCT UD 13. And today, day of the General Strike in Greece we thank you for the great expression of your international solidarity. Today, as also in our everyday struggles. Especially your support for the struggles that are brutally attacked by the employers, the governments, the police. Against the repression and the intimidations by the employers, the working class fights back with the strengthening of its organization, the strengthening of Solidarity.
 Dear comrades, the initiative for this meeting is very important, especially for those forces in the union movement that are concerned and troubled for the developments and the worsening of the life and the working conditions of the working class. This situation comes in a time that human work, based on the achievements of science and technology, leads to production of wealth incomparable to that of the past. Yet, we see this terrifying contrast, as officially the international Media reported that today 8 persons, have wealth equal to that of the half planet. We the workers, we witness the contradiction to work and not to be able to cover the basic needs of our families. Even worse is the situation for the young workers, the unemployed, or the half-workers, with the flexible forms of work that the capital has imposed using the governments that serves it.
 In this already hard situation is also added the continues escalation of the imperialist competitions, the fight of the monopolies and the imperialist centers of NATO, the EU, of USA-RUSSIA-CHINA etc for the control of the markets, the sources of energy and the roads of their transportation. Developments that are escalated by the recent provocative recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, by the USA. In these competitions the victims are the people who suffer the destruction of their countries, the murdering of hundreds of thousands, the creation of millions of refugees. In these conditions the system breeds again the black snake of fascism, of racism. It prepares the escalation of the repression against the working –people’s movement. This is why it’s not by accident that in France and in Greece, and in all over the world both the capital and its governments systematically promote the attack against trade union rights and freedoms, against the right to go on Strike.
 We dear comrades are here today, exactly because we think and we believe that this situation is not a one way street. The working class does not live in poverty and wretchedness because god wills it. Today, this year, we celebrate and we honor the 100 years from the revolution of the proletarians in Russia and the foundation of the first workers’ state. We know that the working class can be, and will be the owner of the wealth it produces. We know that the working class can and will abolish the capitalist exploitation.
 But comrades, we know that today the situation for the trade union movement in Europe is negative and is dominated by the forces of defeatism and fatalism. We know very well that in the trade unions in Europe, instead of militancy, action and class struggle, dominates bureaucracy, corruption, class collaboration. Unfortunately we know very well and from our own country, that many trade unions have turned from unions of defense and struggle of the workers, into mechanisms of representatives of the employers. Mechanisms of the business groups for the submission of the workers.
 It’s not by accident that in Greece, the wage cuts have the signature of GSEE (General Confederation of Workers of Greece), which is a member of ETUC in Greece, and has accepted and officially signed the cut in minimum wage by 25%, while for the young workers have signed with the bosses even greater cuts, reaching up to -32%.
 Following the argument of “supporting competiveness and profitability” of the business groups, they accept every anti-workers measure, every demand of the employers. Meanwhile, they have even reached today to accept Government’s control to the trade unions, the restriction of trade union rights, even the banning of our right to go on strike.
 Of course this is the line that the forces of ETUC promote all over Europe, since this is the role of ETUC. It’s not an accident that in the past few weeks the EU, along with the employers and ETUC, they all took pictures together to advertise the so called EUROPEAN PILLAR OF SOCIAL RIGHTS. And what was the position of ETUC?
 The Secretary of ETUC, Visentini said “This is the time for unity and solidarity, this is the time to build up the future of Europe, a future that must be prosperous and social. Be sure that trade unions,with all social partners, will be on your side to deliver.”
 Meaning, he gave his promise to the bosses and the leaders of the EU that the role of ETUC will be to stand by their side for a future with profits. A future of prosperity for the society that exploits instead of the society that works and produces. The ETUC calls the workers to be united in this cause.
 This is the role of ETUC! This is the role of the trade unions of class collaboration! This is the role of the social dialogues and social peace! Trade unions inactive, discredited, away from the workers, faithful lapdogs of the bosses. They even reached the point, with the words of Visentini to claim that for the refugee crisis the cause is the climate change (http://euromaidanpress.com/2017/10/03/eu-not-addressing-the-migration-problem-properly-eu-trade-union-chief/#arvlbdata)
 Trade unions that will line up behind the employers, behind the governments that support capitalism. That is why it is characteristic the efforts of many forces to lead the workers behind political forces and parties, that under the label of the “left” or “progressive”, they act against the workers movement. The role of these of forces is dirty, like the SYRIZA Government in Greece, which from one side talks about the Left, and on the other side governs together with a racist, nationalist party. It gives congratulations to Trump and funds NATO with billions, but at the same moment it shuts down hospitals and schools in Greece. SYRIZA speaks about democracy and “fair growth” while it cuts wages and pensions, it sends the riot police to attack the workers, who have nothing to eat and SYRIZA event attempts to abolish the right to Strike.
 But the business groups and the governments they also use more mechanisms to control the workers’ movement. For example the EU and the German State, they fund foundations like the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES), the ROSA LUXEMBURG Foundation and some NGOs. An example is that the FES received from the EU and the German Government funding of 137.000.000 euros only in 2010. 2010 (http://www.fes-ethiopia.org/pages/about-fes/facts-and-figures.php).
 But the workers in Greece today we have experience. We know that the workers of Europe we need another movement. We need trade unions massive, militant, organized and determined. Loyal to the principles of class struggle, of solidarity and internationalism. Trade unions that will unite the workers independently of religion, color, sex or race, but as workers against the common enemy, the business groups. We need trade unions that will demand, that will fight, that they’ll win one by one the rights of the workers until their final victory.
 Such trade unions cannot accept the arguments of the employers, or to become supporters of the one or the other government that promises development in favor of the workers and profits for the capitalists. These arguments have led the workers to disappointment, to withdrawal from the fight.
 We need trade unions that will put in the first line the modern needs of the working class, unions that will fight for the whole life of the worker and its family. They will put obstacles to the anti-workers policies, they will stop measures, and they will create conditions for the counterattack of the working class.
 With this direction, we recently succeeded in Greece with the metal workers, in the shipping yards, after 9 months of struggle to sign the first Collective Contract in the recent years with significant raises in the salaries, with the recognition of a series of rights, such as protection for the health and safety of the workers. A contract that along with the better salaries it establishes work of 7 hour/day–5 day/35hour per week. At the same the contract imposes 100% raise from the first hour of overtime.
 For sure one success is not enough, but it’s a victory that can be our guide, a success that shows that even in the most difficult conditions, against gods and demons, the working class with faith in its own strength, with organization, with solidarity, with determination we can impose our rights.
 For these reasons we believe that all the trade unions that oppose to exploitation, to poverty of the workers, all the trade unions that fight against the delusions for fair development within the capitalism, all the trade unions of Europe that oppose to the rottenness and the defeatism that is cultivated by the forces of class collaboration, we must support initiatives and actions like today’s. We must support this attempt of the militant forces and of WFTU.
 We have to see initiatives for meetings and common actions of the trade unions, independently of the differences that we might have, that agree that the Working Class has to Counterattack. All the trade unions that we believe in the principles of the Fight, Solidarity and Internationalism. All the trade unions that we believe that for the workers the only way is to fight against exploitation and imperialism for the life and the future of the working class.
 This is why we believe that today’s initiative, the meeting of the trade unions of the Mediterranean is important to create the preconditions for the workers of our countries to respond to the offensive of imperialism, to the plans of the monopolies and the Governments that serve them. For the Mediterranean to become a sea of peace and prosperity for the peoples.
* * *
Colloque International Europe du Sud et Méditerranée,
 Marseille, 14-15/12/2017.
Intervention de PAME Front Ouvrier De Tous Les Travailleurs, Grèce.
Chers collègues, De la part du PAME, du mouvement syndical de classe de Grèce, je voudrais saluer cette grande rencontre des syndicats d’Europe et de la Méditerranée. C’est un grand plaisir de nous retrouver parmi vous, nos frères et sœurs de classe, au moment où en Grèce, les drapeaux du PAME et de la FSM envahissent les rues dans cette journée de grève générale. 
Il y a quelques mois, quand vous organisiez un très grand rassemblement ici même, à Marseille, une délégation du PAME s’est trouvée parmi vous, exprimant ainsi avec des actes la solidarité des syndicats de classe de la Grèce avec la lutte de la classe ouvrière de la France et de l’UD CGT 13. Et dans ce jour, jour de grève générale en Grèce, nous vous remercions pour l’expression de votre solidarité internationaliste, tant aujourd’hui que dans les luttes quotidiennes. Surtout dans les luttes qui subissent les attaques violentes du patronat, du gouvernement et de la police. 
À la répression et à l’intimidation du patronat, la classe ouvrière répond avec le renforcement de son organisation et de la solidarité. Chers camarades, l’initiative pour cette rencontre est très importante, notamment pour les forces au sein du mouvement syndical qui se soucient des développements et de la dégradation des conditions de vie et de travail de la classe ouvrière. D’autant plus que nous vivons dans une époque où le travail humain, avec les réussites dans les domaines des sciences et de la technologie, entraîne la production d’une quantité de richesse incomparablement plus significative qu’auparavant. Or, nous constatons cette contradiction effrayante que 8 personnes, d’après les reportages des médias internationaux, possèdent une quantité de richesse égale à celle de la moitié de la planète. 
Nous, les travailleurs, nous vivons la contradiction de ne pas être en mesure de satisfaire les besoins élémentaires de nos familles, malgré que l’on travaille. Certes, la situation est encore pire pour les jeunes travailleurs, les chômeurs ou pour ceux qui travaillent avec les formes flexibles de travail que le capital a imposé à l’aide des gouvernements qui le servent. Dans cette situation compliquée s’ajoute l’escalade continue des antagonismes impérialistes et les conflits entre monopoles ou forces impérialistes, entre l’OTAN, l’UE, les Etats-Unis, la Russie, la Chine etc. pour mettre la main sur les marchés, les sources d’énergie et leurs routes de transportation. 
Des développements qui s’aggravent avec la récente provocation de la reconnaissance, par les Etats-Unis, de Jérusalem comme la capitale d’Israël. Les victimes de ces antagonismes sont les peuples avec la destruction des pays entiers, les meurtres de milliers de gens et les millions de réfugiés. Dans ces conditions, le système nourrit à nouveau le serpent noir du fascisme et du racisme. Il prépare l’escalade de la répression face au mouvement ouvrier et populaire. Ce n’est donc pas un hasard si, en France et en Grèce, mais aussi dans le monde entier, le capital et les gouvernements démolissent systématiquement les droits et libertés syndicales, même le droit à faire grève. 
Chers camarades, 
nous sommes ici aujourd’hui parce que nous considérons que cette situation n’est pas une voie à un sens. Il existe des raisons bien concrètes qui font que la classe ouvrière vit dans la pauvreté et la misère. Cette année où nous célébrons le centenaire de la révolution des prolétaires de la Russie et de la fondation du premier état ouvrier, nous savons bien que la classe ouvrière peut et doit devenir le maitre de la richesse qu’elle même produit. Nous savons bien que la classe ouvrière peut et doit abolir l’exploitation capitaliste. 
Or, camarades, nous savons bien que la situation actuelle dans le mouvement syndical en Europe est négative et que des forces défaitistes et fatalistes y règnent. Nous savons très bien que dans les syndicats d’Europe, au lieu de la combattivité, l’action et la lutte des classes, c’est la bureaucratie, la corruption et la collaboration des classes qui dominent. Malheureusement, nous sommes bien au 3 courant, de notre pays, que plusieurs syndicats ont été transformés d’unions ouvrières de défense et de lutte à des organes des représentants du patronat, à des mécanismes de grands groupes pour la soumission des travailleurs. 
Il n’est pas un hasard si en Grèce, les coupes dans les salaires portent la signature de la GSEE, membre de la CES en Grèce, qui a accepté et signé avec les patrons, à la manière la plus officielle, la baisse du SMIC de 25 %. Une réduction, notons, qui atteint 32 % pour les jeunes travailleurs de moins de 25 ans. En suivant la logique du « soutien à la compétitivité et à la rentabilité » de grands groupes, elle accepte toute mesure contre les ouvriers et toute demande des patrons. Elle est allée jusqu’à accepter le contrôle de l’État sur les syndicats, la restriction des droits syndicaux et même, l’interdiction du droit à faire grève. Certes, cette ligne est suivie par les forces de la CES dans toute l’Europe, parce que c’est exactement son rôle. Il n’est un hasard s’il y a tout juste quelques semaines, l’UE, avec le patronat et la CES, se posaient en photo de famille pour faire la pub du Socle Européen des Droits Sociaux. 
Quel était, au juste, la position de la CES ? Luca Visentini, président de la CES, a dit « C’est le temps d’unité et de solidarité, c’est le temps de construire l’avenir de l’Europe, un avenir prospère et social. Soyez sûr que les syndicats, aves tous les partenaires sociaux, seront à votre côté pour ce faire». (https://www.etuc.org/speeches/lucavisentinis-speech-social-summit-gothenburg#.Wi5dGdKWbcd) En d’autres mots, il a promis au patronat et aux dirigeants européens que le rôle de la CES consiste à se mettre à leur côté pour un avenir avec des profits.
Un avenir prospère pour la partie de la société qui exploite l’autre partie de la société, celle qui travaille et qui produit. Et la CES appelle les travailleurs à s’unir sur cette cause. Voici quel est le rôle de la CES ! Voici quel est le rôle des syndicats de la collaboration des classes ! Voici quel est e rôle que jouent les dialogues sociaux : des syndicats passifs, dévalorisés, se trouvant loin des ouvriers et étant de véritables serviteurs du patronat. Ils sont allés jusqu’à dire, de la bouche de Visentini, que la crise de réfugiés est due au changement climatique. (http://euromaidanpress.com/2017/10/03/eu-not-addressing-the-migration-problem-properly-eu-tradeunion-chief/#arvlbdata) 
 Des syndicats se mettant du côté des patrons et des gouvernements qui servent le capitalisme. Il est révélateur que plusieurs forces tentent d’entraîner les travailleurs derrière des forces politiques et des partis, qui, sous le signe de « gauche » ou de « progressiste », agissent, en fait, contre le mouvement ouvrier. Le rôle de ces forces, tel SYRIZA, est sale. D’un côté, il se réclame de gauche et de l’autre côté, il est en gouvernement avec un parti raciste et nationaliste. Il félicite Trump et finance l’OTAN avec des milliards en même temps qu’il ferme des hôpitaux et des écoles en Grèce. 
Il parle de démocratie et d’une « croissance juste » en même temps qu’il fait des coupes dans les salaires et les retraites, qu’il envoie les CRS pour attaquer des ouvriers qui sont dans la misère, qu’il tente de supprimer notre droit à la grève. De plus, les grands groupes et les gouvernements emploient d’autres dispositifs pour contrôler le mouvement ouvrier. 
Par exemple, l’UE et l’état allemand financent des institutions telles que la Fondation Friedrich Ebert (FES), la fondation Rosa Luxemburg et de diverses ONG. Il est révélateur que la FES seul a reçu un financement de 137 millions d’euros de l’UE et de l’état allemand rien que pour l’année 2010 (http://www.fes-ethiopia.org/pages/about-fes/facts-and-figures.php). 
Cependant, les ouvriers grecs, nous avons à présent une expérience considérable. Nous savons que les travailleurs en Europe, nous avons besoin d’un autre mouvement. Nous avons besoin des syndicats de masse, de lutte, des syndicats organisés et résolus. 
Des syndicats fidèles aux principes de la lutte des classes, de la solidarité et de l’internationalisme. Des syndicats qui unissent les travailleurs indépendamment de religion, de couleur, de sexe ou de race. Des syndicats qui les unissent en tant qu’ouvriers contre leur adversaire commun qui sont les grands groupes. Nous avons besoin des syndicats qui revendiquent, qui luttent, qui gagneront un par un les droits de la classe ouvrière jusqu’à la victoire finale. 
Ces syndicats ne devront pas accepter l’idéologie du patronat et ils ne devront être des supporteurs de tel ou tel gouvernement promettant aux ouvriers une croissance en faveur du peuple et aux capitalistes, rien que des profits. Cette logique a conduit les travailleurs à la déception et l’éloignement de la lutte. Nous avons besoin des syndicats qui mettront en avant les besoins contemporains de la classe ouvrière et qui s’occuperont de l’ensemble de la vie des travailleurs et de leurs familles. 
Des syndicats qui mettront des obstacles aux politiques suivies contre les ouvriers, qui bloqueront des mesures et qui prépareront le terrain pour la contre-offensive de la classe ouvrière. Dans ce sens, dans le branche de la métallurgie et des chantiers navals en Grèce, nous avons récemment réussi à signer, après 9 mois de lutte, le premier accord de branche depuis des années, avec des hausses importantes de salaire, la reconnaissance de toute une série de droits et de conquêtes, de protection de la santé et de sécurité des travailleurs. 
Bref, un accord de branche qui, tout en rétablissant de meilleurs salaires, impose aussi la semaine de 35h (5 jours de travail, 7 heures par jour) et prévient une majoration de 100 % dès la première heure supplémentaire de travail. Certes, un seul succès ne suffit pas. Elle reste, tout de même, une victoire qui servira de guide dans le futur et qui montre que, même dans les conditions les plus difficiles, la classe ouvrière peut imposer ses droits quand elle croit à sa force, quand elle s’organise, quand elle est solidaire et résolue. 
C’est pourquoi nous considérons que tous les syndicats étant contre l’exploitation et la misère des travailleurs, tous les syndicats luttant contre la leurre d’une croissance juste et équitable dans le capitalisme, tous les syndicats étant contre le défaitisme semé par les forces de la collaboration des 5 classes, tous ces syndicats, nous devons soutenir des initiatives comme celle-ci. Nous devons soutenir cet effort des forces militantes et de la FSM. 
Nous devons examiner des initiatives de rencontre et d’action commune de tous ces syndicats, qui, indépendamment des différences éventuelles, sont d’accord que la classe ouvrière doit passer à la contre-attaque, de tous ces syndicats qui croient aux principes de la lutte, de la solidarité et de l’internationalisme, de tous ces syndicats qui considèrent que pour les ouvriers, la seule voie est la lutte contre l’exploitation et l’impérialisme pour la vie et l’avenir de la classe ouvrière. 
C’est pourquoi nous considérons que cette initiative, la rencontre des syndicats de la Méditerranée et de l’Europe est importante pour créer les conditions pour que les travailleurs dans nos pays répondent à l’offensive impérialiste, aux plans des monopoles et aux gouvernements les servant. Pour que la Méditerranée se transforme en mer de paix et de prospérité pour les peuples.