Saturday, June 2, 2018

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.
Earlier the employers had tried to break the strike using strikebreakers and fascists. When they did not succeed to enter through the picket lines, they used a small boat to reach the docks from the sea, but this attempt failed also.
Within these developments, the dockworkers in the Port of Piraeus held a massive General Assembly on Thursday 31st May evening at the gates of the cargo Port. At the Meeting they read messages of International Solidarity and with the presence of PAME and Unions from all over Athens, who expressed their solidarity and condemnation to the tactics of the Company and the Government.
Based on the class solidarity, militant spirit and determination to continue the struggle for Collective Contract, the workers decided to continue their strike for the next two days. 
In order to support the Strike, the Regional Trade Union of Piraeus, where the leadership is of PAME, decided to call for Strike in COSCO dockworkers.
The Workers Demand:
- Stop the anti-union tactics of COSCO
- Signing of Collective Contract with better working conditions and salaries. Full time steady jobs. Abolishment of Flexible Working Relations. Health and Safety Regulations.
PM Alexis Tsipras visiting COSCO Shipping headquarters
in Shanghai, 6 July 2016. 
"The developments in COSCO", writes a statement by the All-Workers Militant Froint (PAME), "reveal that the big business groups use the new anti-trade union laws imposed by SYRIZA-ANEL government to attack workers’ organization and struggle. But at the same time class solidarity and militant action can support workers and respond to the aggressiveness of the Governments and the Business Groups."
PAME, which at the very first time actively supported the strike of the dockworkers, has strongly condemned the intimidation tactics of COSCO and government and calls all Unions to express their class solidarity with the dockworkers in the port of Piraeus and their strike.