Dockworkers in Greece refused to load arms shipment destined for Israel, forced cargo ship to change route

The militant mobilization of dockworkers at Greece's major port, Piraeus, on Saturday 15 June led to the cancellation of the arrival of “MSC ALTAIR”, a container ship transporting weaponry and ammunition to Israel.

As “Rizospastis” daily reported, MSC ALTAIR began its itinerary from Valencia, Spain and was due to reach Israel via Piraeus. According to information the cargo ship was carrying ammunition and other war material destined to be used by the IDF against the Palestinians in the slaughterhouse of Gaza. 

 

Transport Trade Unions Greece-Italy-Turkey: STOP the massacre in Palestine! STOP the Transport of Death!

STOP the massacre in Palestine!

STOP the Transport of Death!

The history of transport workers has always been clearly on the side of peace, against fascism, racism, against any occupation and oppression of peoples.

For this reason, we cannot tolerate the transformation of the ports, airports, ships and trains of Europe into centers of trafficking of death.

Italy: Workers, students rally against the imperialist war and the transportation of weapons to Ukraine

Under the slogan “Put down the weapons, raise the wages”, thousands of dockworkers and students protested last week in Genoa and other cities in Italy against the imperialist war and the transportation of weapons to Ukraine.

A strike was declared and organized by USB (Unione Sindacale di Base) trade union, while multiple protests were also held in other cities, including Rome, Milan, Turin and Bologna. 

Event in Brussels: "Port workers against exploitation and imperialist war" on Monday 14 November

Port workers in Genova, Italy, protest against the imperialist war.

Event titled "Port workers against exploitation and imperialist war" is organized by the Europarliament Group of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) on Monday 14 November, 2:00 pm, at the European Parliament (Room ASP1G1) in Brussels.

The introductory speech will be delivered by the KKE MEP Kostas Papadakis. 

Interventions will be made by:

May Day 2022 in Greece: "The working class does not bow its head" (VIDEO)

“The working class will not bow its head” was the message sent by thousands of demonstrators on May 1st in Athens' Syntagma Square, on the occasion of the International Workers' Day. With a militant rally, trade unions that participate in the ranks of the All-Workers' Militant Front (PAME) raised their voice against the rise of prices and Greece's involvement in the imperialist war in Ukraine.

136 years since the uprising in Chicago, in the shadow of another imperialist war that is taking place for the profits of the capitalists, in the face of the escalating attack of governments against the workers' rights, the message of the May 1st protests throughout Greece is a beacon of hope. 

COSCO dockworkers in Piraeus defy police and threats, held 24-hour massive strike

“We will not yield to their intimidation, no worker shall stand alone, not a step back from the right to strike and the defence of our rights” is the message sent by the COSCO workers who are on strike at the Piraeus port in Greece. 

“The strike is extremely successful. Very few workers have gone to work, who will soon join us”, announced the administrative board of ENEDEP (Container Handling Workers’ Trade Union at the Piers of Piraeus).

Greece: Significant victory for COSCO dockworkers!

After seven days of strike, the dockworkers of COSCO at Piraeus Port in Greece came victorious, as the employers were forced to accept most of their demands. The good news were announced yesterday, Thursday 4/11, during a rally held by Trade Unions in Athens. 

According to information, after negotiations of the Ministry of Shipping with Piraeus bodies and company executives, there was a framework to satisfy the demands of the employees, while COSCO accepted the application of shift and increase of the post from four to six people, in the composition health and safety committee, while abolishing the counter-shift.

Workers Lives Matter: Solidarity with the struggle of Cosco workers in Greece

On Monday 25th October, 46 year-old dockworker Dimitris Daglis was killed at pier 2 at the Cosco-owned Piraeus Port Container Station, after he was fatally hit by a crane bridge. 

"It's not the 'bad' moment. It is a result of the intensification of work, the lack of safety measures for our health and our integrity ", the Union of Container Workers at Piraeus Port (ENEDEP) underlined in its statement, declaring a strike in response to the tragic event. 

Worker killed at Cosco-owned Piraeus Port in Greece

A 46-year-old dockworker was killed on Monday afternoon at pier 2 at the Piraeus Container Station, when, under unclear circumstances, he was fatally hit by a crane bridge.

"It's not the 'bad' moment. It is a result of the intensification of work, the lack of safety measures for our health and our integrity ", the Union of Container Workers at Piraeus Port underlines in its statement, demanding 6-hour shifts, abolition of counter shifts, conversion of all contracts into full and Health and Safety Committees by employees. 

Livorno port workers refuse to load arms shipment destined for Israel

Dock workers in the Italian port of Livorno refused to load a shipment of weapons and explosives after discovering it was destined for the Israeli port of Ashdod.

L’Unione Sindacale di Base (USB), Italy's independent, class-oriented trade union,  pointed out that the ship contained weapons and explosives that will serve to kill the Palestinian civilians, already hit by a severe attack that has killed hundreds of civilian victims, including many children.

COSCO dockworkers in Piraeus go on strike over collective agreements

Giant banner at Piraeus' tower promoting September 7th
dockworkers' strike.

In a statement, the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) calls every trade union, federation, Regional Trade Union Center, every worker and unionist to stand by the great struggle of the workers at the piers of Piraeus who continue their  struggle with a new Strike on Friday 7 September so as to sign Collective Contract.

We call on the trade unions of each country, in particular the Trade Unions in Ports and Transport Workers, to express Solidarity and Support to the COSCO Workers' Strike at Piraeus Port.

Workers at Greece's Piraeus port denounce intimidation tactics by COSCO

Workers of the COSCO shipping giant at the Port of Piraeus are outraged by an incident that took place last week and shows the terrorist methods used by the Chinese multinational. 

More specifically, as the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) refers in a statement, under the commands of COSCO, unidentified henchmen assaulted the President of the COSCO Workers' Union Markos Bekris, thus causing him injuries.

PAME states that "the attack took place last week during the Union’s briefing to the workers, in the middle of the day, while the union is on procedures of collective bargaining."

Solidarity with the dockworkers of Piraeus - COSCO's employer "terrorism" shall not pass

Photo from the dockworkers assembly in the Port.

On Wednesday 6 June the dockworkers at the port of Piraeus will organize a new strike, in an effort to organize their struggle against the orgy of employer terrorism exercised by the chinese multinational COSCO. 

On May 31st, COSCO filed a suit demanding the workers’ strike be called illegal and stopped. Based on the new anti-trade union legislation imposed by the SYRIZA-ANEL Government the Court of Piraeus convened immediately and called the Strike illegal.