Microsoft accumulates immense profits, starts layoff of thousands of employees worldwide

The multinational giant Microsoft- despite its immense profits- is laying off more than 3,000 employees, with the cuts falling largely on the company's sales force. The vast majority of layoffs will hit employees located outside the United States, although some will also be in Redmond. Greek Telecommunication & IT Workers Unions has condemned the lay offs:

The Telecommunications & Information Technology Unions of Athens, Thessaloniki, Forthnet and 360 Connect (Vodafone) members of PAME (All-Workers Militant Front) and WFTU (World Federation of Trade Unions) condemn the multinational Microsoft, which announced that it will lay-off 3000-4000 from its sales departments.

Greek tourism industry: Unpaid labour, starvation wages and huge profits for the monopoly groups

What lies behind the luxurious and idyllic facade of Greece's tourism industry? The answer is that tourism consists another field for monopolies' profitability, based on unpaid workers, layoffs, unsourced workers, starvation wages, lack of collective agreements etc. 

This is the actual meaning of "economic growth" that the SYRIZA-ANEL government, as well as the New Democracy and the other bourgeois parties, promote. 

Even if thousands of tourists arrive in Greece every day, hundreds of employees work daily to the tourism industry with humiliating salaries and exhausting shifts that last from dawn till dusk. The average - daily room rate on all 4-5-star hotels is equal to the salary of a waiter! In a tourist country like Greece, where 25 million of tourists are expected this summer, hotel workers cannot afford a decent vacation and relaxing period. This is Capitalism.

The Grenfell Tower Tragedy: Another crime of Capitalism

“When one individual inflicts bodily injury upon another such that death results, we call the deed manslaughter; when the assailant knew in advance that the injury would be fatal, we call his deed murder. But when society places hundreds of proletarians in such a position that they inevitably meet a too early and an unnatural death, one which is quite as much a death by violence as that by the sword or bullet; when it deprives thousands of the necessaries of life, places them under conditions in which they cannot live – forces them, through the strong arm of the law, to remain in such conditions until that death ensues which is the inevitable consequence – knows that these thousands of victims must perish, and yet permits these conditions to remain, its deed is murder just as surely as the deed of the single individual…” 

- Friedrich Engels, Condition of the Working Class in England, 1845. 

Alexis Tsipras assures industrialists that the anti-people policy will continue

His committment in implementing new anti-people, anti-workers measures Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras expressed at the Hellenic Federation of Enteprises (SEV) annual general assembly on Wednesday. 

Tsipras delivered a speech during an event marking the 100th anniversary since SEV's foundation where he characterized the capitalist recovery of the economy as a "national goal". 

"The future of the economy for many decades will be judged at this time. We must be united before a goal of national importance," Tsipras said. The demand for sustainable growth and a national plan for radical changes had yet to be fulfilled, he said, while the years of crisis had amply demonstrated that the previous production model had failed. This model would have to be redesigned in order for Greece to exit the crisis and the country was now asking its creditors to meet their own commitments, enabling Greece to access the markets on its own merits.

All-Workers Militant Front (PAME): ITUC and the Goals of the EU-IMF in Greece

ITUC and the Goals of the EU-IMF in Greece.

In a message to its members in Greece, the GSEE-ADEDY, the international mechanism of the multinationals within the trade unions, the ITUC, “criticizes” the IMF-EU that they promote “wrong” policies in Greece and “do not succeed in their goals”.

We inform the ITUC that the IMF-EU-Greek Government have succeeded their goals 100%, because their goal is to destroy workers’ rights, so as to guarantee the profits of the monopolies.

Having no relation with class struggle, nor with the meaning of class exploitation, imperialism, capital, or working class, the ITUC repeats the arguments of the Greek Government of SYRIZA and the nationalist-racist ANEL party, about a “just growth”, which will supposedly will benefit the workers. 

People Rise Up: Greece's Labour movement prepares for national General Strike on May 17

A nationwide General Strike is scheduled to take place on May 17, 2017 with rallies and demonstrations in Athens-Piraeus, Thessaloniki, Patras and all major cities of the country. 

On the occasion of the General Strike, the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) calls the people to rise up against the new harsh measures imposed by the bailout agreement of the SYRIZA coalition government and the creditors (EU-IMF). More specifically, the PAME statement writes:

PCRF: Emmanuel Macron embodies the reactionary values of the bourgeoisie / The only alternative is the creation of a strong Communist Party

Emmanuel Macron is the new President of France. In the second round of the french presidential elections the candidate of the "En Marche!" movement gained 66% of the votes, while Marine Le Pen, of the far-right "Front National" received 34%. Macron and Le Pen represent the two sides of the same coin: they are both parts of the capitalist system, expressing the aspirations and goals of different sections of the french capital. 

In a statement regarding the result of the elections, the Parti Communiste Révolutionnaire de France (Revolutionary Communist Party of France-PCRF) characterizes Emmanuel Macron as "the reactionary continuity at the Elysee" and "a man of the french bourgeoisie". 

According to the PCRF the result of the elections "is the result of a formidable mobilization of the propaganda and communication apparatus of monopoly capital". "Under these conditions", writes the PCRF, "our Party welcomes all those who refused to endorse the masquerade Le Pen-Macron by abstaining, voting white or none!". 

Comandante Fidel Castro and the apologists of capitalism - By Nikos Mottas

Comandante Fidel Castro and the apologists of capitalism

By Nikos Mottas.

The death of Fidel Castro last November unfolded, both in Greece as well as internationally, an orchestrated attack against the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution and socialist Cuba. 

A patchwork of anticommunism, from the far-right to the edge of social democracy, didn't lose the opportunity to slander the cuban revolutionary, either by attributing to him various characterizations (e.g dictator, controversial personality, etc) or by reproducing proven lies about his supposed fabulous wealth and personal life.

They tried to vilify Fidel with numerous slanders.... That he was a dictator who installed a repressing establishment, that socialism was proved- as some claimed- a 'chimera' which gave birth to authoritarianism, lack of democracy and freedom.

Dimitris Koutsoumbas: Who has benefited from the EU, the people or the monopolies?

In his article published in the Greek newspaper "Naftemporiki", the General Secretary of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Dimitris Koutsoumbas writes on the 60 years since the foundation of the EEC/EU (Treaty of Rome):

"The anniversary of the 60 years since the foundation of the EEC and later of the EU is celebrated by her founders, the capitalist member-states, the monopolies of the european states. Because the EU is their own creation for their own interests. It is not celebrated by the people of her member-states, because the EU has never been, is not nor can become people's EU. 

Capitalists and Jihadists: French-Swiss multinational admits indirect financing of ISIS

In our previous article "ISIS: A tool in the hands of Imperialism" we were writing among other things: "...the savage murderers of ISIS became part of an imperialist equation in Syria which serves the interests of the monopolies of the states involved in the war". The revelation of the numerous direct and indirect relations between large corporations and the jihadists was a matter of time. 

Such an interesting revelation came recently from London's "Financial Times" which expose the indirect financing of the Islamic State from LafargeHolcim, the French-Swiss multinational manufacturer of building materials.

THIS IS CAPITALISM! Smartphones made by blood; child labour in Congo's cobalt mines

It's Capitalism, Stupid...

A Sky News investigation has found children as young as four working in Congolese mines where cobalt is extracted for smartphones.The mineral is an essential component of batteries for smartphones and laptops, making billions for multinationals such as Apple and Samsung, yet many of those working to extract it are earning as little as 8p a day in desperately dangerous conditions.

New Developments in Political Economy: The Demise of “Globalization”

New Developments in Political Economy: The Demise of “Globalization”.

By Zoltan Zigedy.

“Globalization” is a slippery term: 1. Sometimes it is used as a description of the quantitative changes in the global economy that emerged in the 1980s. 2. Sometimes it is used to express a set of policy prescriptions that gained traction in that same period. 3. Sometimes it is used to name a theory positing a new era, epoch, or stage of capitalism, a qualitative change in the way that contemporary capitalism functions.

And sometimes the word is used in all three senses:

"Trump will be a disaster for the US working class" - Interview with Zoltan Zigedy

On the occasion of the beginning of Donald Trump's presidency and the recent anti-Trump demonstrations throughout the United States, we asked from the US-based blogger and activist Zoltan Zigedy* to share his views. 

IT'S CAPITALISM, STUPID: Just eight men own same wealth as half the world

According to the latest report published by Oxfam eight men own the same wealth as the 3.6 billion people who make up the poorest half of humanity. Oxfam's report 'An economy for the 99%', shows that the gap between rich and poor is far greater than had been feared. 

More specifically:

• Eight men now own the same amount of wealth as the poorest half of the world.

• Over the next 20 years, 500 people will hand over $2.1 trillion to their heirs – a sum larger than the GDP of India, a country of 1.3 billion people.

• The incomes of the poorest 10% of people increased by less than $3 a year between 1988 and 2011, while the incomes of the richest 1% increased 182 times as much.

• A FTSE-100 CEO earns as much in a year as 10,000 people in working in garment factories in Bangladesh.

• In the US, new research by economist Thomas Piketty shows that over the last 30 years the growth in the incomes of the bottom 50% has been zero, whereas incomes of the top 1% have grown 300%.

• In Vietnam, the country’s richest man earns more in a day than the poorest person earns in 10 years.

USA / Donald Trump government: Priority in serving the general interests of the capital

Article published on 'Rizospastis' Sunday Edition, 15 January 2017 / Translation: In Defense of Communism.

The priorities of the government of the newly-elected U.S. President, Donald Trump, who takes office on January 20th, do not differ from those of the outgoing President Barack Obama because- despite the existing differences in their declarations- their common denominator is to safeguard the general interests of the bourgeoisie. That doesn't negate a multilevel intra-bourgeois confrontation for the way through which this will be achieved more effectively, especially in a period when the inter-imperialist antagonism is exacerbated, with an estimated relative loss of U.S. leadership in the international capitalist economy and given the difficulties for a more impetuous capitalist recovery. More specifically Trump promotes a different mix of management with stronger elements of protectionism, an issue which however creates difficulties in international trade, which in turn displeases other parts of the (U.S) capital. 

Capitalism Unmasked: Numbers reveal the expansion of social inequalities in the 21st century

The poorest half of the world's population shares a bit under the 1% of the global wealth, while the richest 10% owns the 88% of the total global wealth. The 0.7% of the world's population owns 116.6 trillion dollars!

1. The richest 1% of the world's population controls half of the global wealth. Despite the economic crisis, the number of millionaires in a worldwide scale was increased during the last 12 months of 2016.

2. According to a survey by Credit Suisse, 3.4 billion people- the 71% of the world's population- share only 7.4 trillion dollars, less than the wealth of the 2,473 billionaires around the world. 

3. The total number of billionaires grew by 81% since 2009, a year after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, while their wealth was more than doubled. According to data provided by Wealth-X and UBS, 16.6 million people (0.334% of the global population) own 77 trillion dollars, which is almost the annual global GDP.

4. Approximately 211,275 millionaires (0.004% of the global population) own the 12.8% (29.7 trillion dollars) of the global wealth, while 2,325 billionaires own 7.3 trillion dollars.

Raul Castro: "Cuba will not go towards Capitalism now or ever"

Source: Telesur.

Cuban President Raul Castro said that the socialist country will not head towards capitalism, as the country prepares for the first anniversary of the Cuban Revolution after the death of his brother Fidel.

Raul spoke at the national assembly, after over a month since he announced to the world the death of revolutionary leader Fidel Castro on November 25.

He spoke about the economy of the nation predicting that the economy will grow and the Gross Domestic Product will grow moderately at around 2 percent.

To achieve this, three decisive premises must be fulfilled: ensuring exports and their timely billing, increasing domestic production that replaces imports, and reducing all non-essential expenses, he added.

The president also said the country shouldn’t be afraid of foreign capital arriving on the island.

Aleka Papariga: Capitalism will not live forever; it will be overthrown

Speaking in a political event organised by the KKE Sectoral Organisation of Volos on Sunday 11/12, the member of the CC of the KKE and former General Secretary of the Party Aleka Papariga, mentioned, among others, the following:

"The KKE is the only Party that knows very well what the capitalist system means. It knows very well the danger of Capitalism, the power it has in its hands, but also knows that the capitalist system isn't a system that will live forever. On the contrary, it is a system which can be overthrown. [...] Many believe that as long as the Socialist system does not exist today, the only system that can exist is Capitalism. We say that Capitalism has contradictions and deadlocks- even today, when it appears in a global scale, without opponent- and can be overthrown.

Of course, it will not collapse by itself, but in one or another country the conditions for its overthrow can be created. And what is important today, above all, is that the working class and her allies must understand that there is the potentiality to take the power in their hands. 

Kostas Papadakis (KKE MEP)- No trust in any bourgeois government, any bourgeois class, any imperialist alliance

Source: inter.kke.gr.

Kostas Papadakis, member of the CC and MEP, in the introductory speech of the KKE at the international seminar of the KKE's delegation to the European Parliament stressed the following:

Dear comrades,

Our seminar today aims to shed light on contemporary, complex and serious (for the workers) developments, through the prism of  Leninist thought, as this was exemplified 100 years ago in the work "On the Slogan for a United States of Europe". With the utilization of other works that also analyze the constituent elements of imperialism, as the highest stage of capitalism.

Today, we see new inter-state unions next to the old ones, like NATO and the EU. Unions are emerging in Eurasia, Latin America, Asia that supposedly aim to unite the peoples and economic life of entire continents. The problems are serious, because apart from the mutated parties that bear the "communist" title and follow the social-democratic path, there are CPs that are trying, struggling but detach this development from its economic base and salute it, adopting the ideological construct of the so-called "multi-polar world".

THE TRUTH ABOUT SOCIALIST CUBA: Refuting the bourgeois slanders against Fidel Castro

EDITORIAL

The death of Comandante Fidel Castro Ruz on November 25 sparked a barrage of vulgar statements, declarations and comments from various bourgeois sources. Liberals, neoliberals, conservatives, neo-Nazis and other apologists of Capitalism's barbarity tried to vilify Fidel as a "dictator" and Socialist Cuba as a "repressive dictatorship". Of course, the millions of Cuban people, of every age, who took the streets in order to say farewell to Comandante Fidel gave their powerful response to all these anticommunist slanderers. Was Fidel Castro a "dictator", as the bourgeois propaganda argues, or was he a champion of social justice and a hero to millions of people across the world?