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.

Statements by the WFTU and PAME: Solidarity with the bus drivers' strike in Sydney

World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU):

The World Federation of Trade Unions, representing 92 million workers in the 5 continents, expresses its solidarity with Sydney bus drivers who are on strike as a response to the government’s announcement for a privatization program of bus services in the city’s south and inner west.

The privatization plan was announced, despite the fact that the government assured the bus drivers in writing that the bus route will not be privatized. According to the strikers, the privatization will cost the job of 1,200 drivers, will reduce the bus routes and stops and will adversely affect the quality of service and the maintenance of the buses.

D. Koutsoumbas: "The austerity memorandums must be thrown in the trashbin of history"

"Popular uprising everywhere. The memorandums of austerity must be thrown in the trashbin of history" said among other things the Secretary General of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Dimitris Koutsoumbas who attended the large strike demonstration in Athens on May 17. Talking to journalists, Secretary Koutsoumbas made the following statement:

"Actually, class war is now in progress, it is a marathon, not a rifle shot in the air. Class war must be a daily and lasting one. The harsh antipeople measures, the 4th memorandum along with the previous memorandums (of austerity) must be thrown in the trashbin of History and for that the only responsible are the Greek people, the labor-popular movement. 

For that reason, our call is: Popular uprising everywhere, not a day or hour must be gone; the struggle doesn't end today or tomorrow but continues. 

“We will not become the slaves of the 21st century": The KKE calls for people's counterattack

Source: inter.kke.gr.

A 24hr general strike will be held in Greece on 17 May 2017, as well as the strike rallies and demonstrations of the All-worker’s Militant Front (PAME) in dozens of cities, against the measures which the coalition government of the “Left” party of SYRIZA and the nationalist party of ANEL is bringing for discussion on that day in Parliament. 

Protest demonstrations will be organized by PAME all over the country on 18^th of May, the day the measures will be voted on.

The SYRIZA-ANEL government is bringing these measures after the negotiations with the imperialist unions of the EU and IMF for the 2^nd evaluation of the 3^rd Memorandum. It is clear from the results that the government negotiated with the lenders on behalf of the interests of the domestic monopoly groups and not the people, with the aim of accelerating the process of an exit from the capitalist crisis that favours capital.

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:

KKE GS D. Koutsoumbas: "The SYRIZA government does the 'dirty job' on behalf of the capitalists"

Regarding the recent agreement of the SYRIZA-ANEL coalition government with the creditors on new harsh antipeople-antiworkers measures, the Secretary General of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Dimitris Koutsoumbas made the following statement:

"The new agreement of the SYRIZA-ANEL government with the Quartet, which typically and in fact consists a new memorandum, with new harsh measures against employees, pensioners, self-employed people, confirms once more that the government does the "dirty job" on behalf of the capital. 

The new agreement consists a new attack on the people's income, new large cuts in pensions and benefits, new structural measures for the benefit of the monopolies, such as the substantial abolition of the Sunday holiday and the expansion of privatizations.

PAME expresses solidarity with the General Strike of the workers of Brazil on April 28

The All Workers Militant Front (PAME) that represents the class trade union movement of Greece, expresses its solidarity with the working class and the unions of Brazil, the CTB and the friends and affiliates of WFTU in Brazil, for the General Strike of April 28

The workers of Brazil are going on General Strike on April 28 against the antiworkers’ reforms planned by the Temer Government on Social Security and labour legislation. The General Strike of April 28, which has been prepared systematically by the class trade unions of Brazil for weeks, aims to be the biggest strike action since the great General Strike of 1917.

The All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) calls for nationwide rallies in Greece on February 21st

The All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) calls workers, unemployed people, self-employed workers, the youth and women to participate in the nationwide rallies on February 21st, in order to give their own answer to the antipeople policy of the SYRIZA-ANEL government. 

Having as a slogan "No fear, no compliance. Struggle for labor with rights. Life with dignity", PAME calls the working people and the country's popular strata to give a powerful response to the new antipeople measures of the government and Troika and to assert the cancellation of the antiworker laws.

General Strike in Greece: Mass participation in PAME's strike demonstrations sent message to government-EU

Thousands of protesters took the streets in Athens, Thessaloniki and several cities in Greece, participating in militant demonstrations organised by the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME). 

Workers, self-employed people, pensioners, youth and women associations, unemployed men and women unified their voice against the antipeople policy of the SYRIZA-ANEL government, the EU and the Capital. They demanded, once again, their rights in labour and life against modern slavery. 

The General Secretary of the CC of the KKE Dimitris Koutsoumbas, who attended the demonstration in Athens' Omonia Square, made the following statement to journalists:

General Strike on December 8th in Greece - PAME calls for massive, militant response of the working class

A general, nationwide strike will take place on Thursday 8th December in Greece. Numerous labour unions, confederations and centers, students and women's associations have called for mass participation in the strike, against the policies of the SYRIZA government, the EU and the Capital.

The Government of SYRIZA, with the EU-IMF-ECB, are realizing the demands of the business groups and plan the imposition of: 

Liberalization of massive layoffsNew cut of the-already cut- minimum wage, Abolition of any benefit left, Complete imposition of individual or company based contracts, in order to cut further the average salary, Further imposition of flexible working relations, New cuts in pensions and social security rights, Legalization of employers’ “lockout”, Imposition of new trade union legislation that will abolish the right to strike and destroy trade union rights and freedoms and more measures.

PAME: "Everyone in the struggle" - General Strike to take place on November 24th in Greece

"No waiting, no delay! We respond: General Strike on November 24th!" stresses a recent declaration of the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) which calls in struggle for the rights in labour and life, according to the needs of the working people.

The declaration PAME calls the workers, the self-employed, the youth and the pensioners of the country to give a militant response to the barbaric, antipeople measures of the SYRIZA-ANEL government. "We demand rights in our work and life, according to our era- the 21st century, our needs!" as PAME points out in its call for the strike. 

India: Massive nationwide strike against government's assault on public enterprises and workers’ wages and conditions

Yesterday, September 2nd, more than 150 million Indian workers took part in a one-day general strike against Indian Prime Minister Modi’s assaults on public enterprises and workers’ wages and conditions. It is said to be the largest general strike in the country's history, as long as it involved nearly all sectors of the working class including workers from manufacturing, mining, the public sector, transport and other sectors, along with workers in the informal economy.

The Communist Party of India (CPI) issued the following statement regarding the nationwide strike: 

The Central Secretariat of the Communist Party of India congratulates the working class and employees for the most successful general strike all over India on the call of Central Trade Unions.

Aleka Papariga fires at SYRIZA government: "You are the pillars of the rotten capitalist system"

Speaking at the Greek Parliament on Saturday, Communist Party's former General Secretary and current MP, Aleka Papariga unleashed an attack against the SYRIZA-ANEL government. "SYRIZA is the most recessive, conciliatory and degenerated thing appeared in the course of class-struggle" said Papariga in her speech during the discussion for the anti-people law on Social Security.

The former GS of KKE attacked Tsipras' government by saying: "you are the pillars of the rotten capitalist system". She stressed out that SYRIZA deceived the people with big lies, including false arguments such as that "the EU can become a union for the working people" or that, within the frame of capitalism, "another world is possible".

Aleka Papariga mentioned that SYRIZA has revealed it's true face and underlined that the government can only convince the people by using lies and deception.

Capitalists' terrorism against strikers in Greece- Reaction by Labor Unions

In Defense of Communism © Report.

Info from 902.gr.

On the occasion of the 48-hour General Strike against the anti-people law of the SYRIZA-ANEL government, major employers in Greece have tried to terrorize workers by using any possible means. In a statement issued on Friday (first day of the strike), PAME condemns the "employers terrorism and the repression orgy against the nationwide strike". In Athens, dozens of striking builders were persecuted and brought to the police, while Greek shipowners tried to terrorize dockworkers in Piraeus and the port of Volos. 

PAME points out: "We demand from the government to release now all the trade unionists and to stop the environment of terror. Terrorism will not pass. Everyone in the Strike. Everyone in the struggle. Everyone in the demonstrations".

Everyone in the streets! 48-hour massive strike in Greece in response to government's barbaric law on Social Security

       

Spot by PAME.

The All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) calls the working people, the youth, the unemployed ones, the self-employed professionals to the 48-hour strike, on 6 and 7 of May, against the new governmental law on social security and taxation.

PAME organises rallies in all over the country on Friday 6th May. Most significantly:

In Athens, Omonia Square at 11.00 am.

In Thessaloniki, Venizelos' statue at 11.00 am.

"The time for the fight has come. Everyone in the streets! Everyone in the strike demonstrations".

Statement of Solidarity to the upcoming 48hour General Strike in Greece

Source: PAME.

Solidarity With the Working Class of Greece.

Solidarity with the 48hour General Strike Against the new Anti-Workers Measures.

Promoted by Business Groups, European Union, IMF and the Greek Government.

The Trade Union organizations who sign this Resolution, we express our solidarity to the working class of Greece and the 48hour General Strike that is being prepared, after the initiative of PAME, against the new Anti-Workers Measures that are being promoted by the Business Groups, European Union, IMF and the Greek Government.

"Ludlow, Greek Americans in the Colorado coal war" - A documentary by Leonidas Vardaros

         

The trailer of the film.

It's title is "Ludlow, Greek Americans in the Colorado coal war". The documentary by Leonidas Vardaros made it's premiere on April 6, at Alkionis Theater in Athens. The documentary, which received an award at the 18th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, narrates the history of the 1913-14 clash between the United Mine Workers of America and the Coal companies under the leadership of John D.Rockefeller. The workers' descendants remind their fathers and grandfathers' struggle and the injustice they faced.

The class-struggle of 1913-14 led to the Ludlow massacre, on April 20, 1914 the cold-blooded murder of women and children and the assassination of three unionists, among them the leader of the Greek strikers Louis Tikas. 

"Take back the law-guillotine": Mass demonstrations as Greek public sector workers strike over social security disaster

With mass, militant demonstrations in Athens, Thessaloniki and all the major cities, public sector's workers sent their message to the co-coalition government. Thursday's 24-hour walkout called by public sector union ADEDY coincides with a review by lenders of Greece's compliance with terms of an international bailout agreed last year. 

Organised by the All-Militant Workers Front (PAME), the demonstration in central Athens took place in Omonia Square where thousands of workers expressed their condemnation for the government's draft law on social security- an anti-people law that destroys the social security system and any rights derive from it.