Showing posts with label Privatizations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Privatizations. Show all posts

Saturday, April 15, 2023

Margaret Thatcher: Symbol of Capitalist Barbarism

By Nikos Mottas.

The 8th of April marked the 10th death anniversary of the so-called “Iron Lady”, Margaret Thatcher. Following the announcement of her death, on 8 April 2013, spontaneous celebrations erupted in numerous working class neighborhoods throughout Britain

 The fact  that thousands of Britons, old and young, welcomed happily the news of the Iron Lady's death wasn't a coincidence: Throughout her political career Baroness Thatcher made everything in order to establish herself as a fierce enemy of the working class. 

Thursday, March 9, 2023

Greece on the streets — “Our dead, their profits” — Massive strike rallies for the train crash crime

Thousands of workers, school pupils and students, young men and women, participated on Wednesday in massive nationwide strike demonstrations across Greece, demanding no cover-up of the governmental responsibilities for the fatal train crash that took place in Larissa on February 28th. 
 
The strike came as a continuation of the March 5th huge rally held in Athens' Syntagma Square during the 48-hour strike of railway workers. Read here the call by the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME).

Thursday, March 2, 2023

STATEMENTS BY THE KKE AND PAME ON THE FATAL TRAIN CRASH IN GREECE: "CRIME, NOT ACCIDENT"

In a statement about the fatal train crash in Tempe, near the city of Larissa in central Greece, the Press Office of the CC of the Communist Party (KKE) issued the following statement:

"The KKE expresses its sorrow for the unprecedented fatal train accident in Tempe and its sincere condolences to the families of the victims. It calls upon its members and friends to participate in the blood donations held in the towns where the injured are being hospitalized.

We demand that there be a full investigation into the causes of this tragedy, that nothing be covered up!

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Fatal train crash in Greece: A crime against the people that was bound to happen

Late in the evening of 28 February, two trains, one passenger and one cargo, running on the Athens-Thessaloniki line collided head-on near the city of Larissa, resulting in the injury and the tragic loss of dozens of people.

From the first moment, the GS of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), Dimitris Koutsoumbas, stated the following:

“It is a day of unspeakable sorrow for the unprecedented fatal train accident in Tempe, but also of anger for how it is possible that human lives are lost in this tragic way.

Thursday, July 30, 2020

India: Communist Parties slam government's "New Education Policy"

The "New Education Policy" approved by the government of Narendra Modi leads to the further privatization and commercialisation of Indian education, point out the Communist Parties (CPIM and CPI) condemning the proposed reforms. 

In a statement, the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) stresses out:

Friday, July 3, 2020

Indian Railways Privatisation: The Communist Parties condemn BJP government's policy

In a statement regarding Modi government's plan for the privatisation of Indian Railways, the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) points out:

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly opposes the decision for privatisation of the Indian Railways particularly the running of passenger trains by private investors over the Indian Railways network. This is the first time that this is happening in independent India

Thursday, February 13, 2020

Greece: Workers strike against the privatization plans of LARCO Metal Industry

On Tuesday, February 11 started a new strike in Greece’s LARCO Metal Industry. The workers of LARCO Industry went on strike against the announcements of the government to completely privatize LARCO, one of the biggest producers of nickel globally.

The Greek government announced its decision to impose complete privatization of the industry or shut it down. In both cases the victims will be the workers and their families.

Wednesday, August 15, 2018

"Vite di tutti, profitti di pochi": Who is to blame for Genova bridge collapse?

Poster by the Communist Party, Italy on the
Genova disaster: "Immediate Nationalisation".
At least 26 people were killed and 15 badly hurt after a motorway bridge in the northwest Italian city of Genova collapsed on Tuesday afternoon. Dozens of vehicles fell from a 45m height while, according to police sources, there are people who are still missing. 

The tragic incident in Genova seems to be another crime committed in the altar of profitability. In other words, another capitalist crime, in a system which risks the lives of the many for the profits of the few. 

The reaction from the Communist Party, Italy was immediate. In a message to his Twitter account, the Party's General Secretary Marco Rizzo offered his condolences to the families of the victims and wrote (free translation):

Saturday, April 7, 2018

La France en grève - Solidarity with railway workers against Macron's policies

France is on strike! Thousands workers have been in streets during the last weeks, participating in strikes and mobilizations, protesting against the new "reforms" that the Macron-Philippe government promotes in order to serve the needs of the domestic capital. 

More specifically, the French government launched a lightning war against the railwaymen. It has decided to pass by order (without debate or vote in parliament) a privatization project of the SNCF (the national railway company) and to remove the railway status, conquered by the workers' struggles of the past. Among the Macron government’s plans is to lay off 120,000 public sector workers.

Thursday, January 4, 2018

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

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.

Saturday, November 4, 2017

From Souda to Alexandroupolis: Tsipras' government transforms Greece into a huge US-NATO base

The U.S. ambassador in Greece Geoffrey Pyatt made some quite revealing remarks about the interest of the United States regarding the strategic role of Greek ports and maritime industry, during a speech at the 17th Navigator Maritime Forum. 

Here is part of the report by the Athens News Agency-Macedonian News Agency (bold letters are ours):
Commenting on Prime Minister Tsipras' recent visit to Chicago and Washington, he said it strengthened Greek-U.S. ties and that "the message Americans heard throughout the visit, at the very highest levels, was that Greece is back, open for business and a pillar of stability in its region." 

Thursday, September 7, 2017

Greek-Bulgarian memorandum for railway connection serves the profitability of monopoly groups

The Press Office of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece issued a statement about the recent memorandum signed between the governments of Greece and Bulgaria, regarding the construction of a new railway connection. 

"From the advertisement of capitalist businesses to the signing of- needed for the capital- interstate agreements, the SYRIZA-ANEL government continues to promote the known fairy tale of development which- supposedly- can be beneficial for both monopolies and the people. 

The truth is that the interstate agreement for the construction of "Egnatia Railway", which, through a new line, will connect Kavala with Thessaloniki and Alexandroupolis and from there with the ports of Ruse, Varna and Burgas (Bulgaria), comes as a demand of the monopoly groups in the Transporation sector and during a period when the privatization of TRAINOSE (Greece's state railways) and ports is under way. 

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Who is to blame for Greece's disastrous wildfires?

Firefighters in Greece battle wildfires northeast of Athens for a third day trying to prevent a blaze that scorched thousands of hectares of pine forest from spreading further. The fire near Athens started in Kalamos, a coastal holiday spot some 45 km (30 miles) northeast of the capital, and spread to three more towns, damaging dozens of homes. A state of emergency was declared in the area.

On Monday 14 August, firefighters battled more than 90 forest fires across Greece, an outbreak fed by dry winds and hot weather that saw blazes burning near Athens, in the Peloponnese, and on the Ionian islands of Zakynthos and Kefalonia.

ΚΚΕ: Both SYRIZA and New Democracy share responsibility for their policies over forest protection, land commercialization, privatization of firefighting services.

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Liars and Opportunists: SYRIZA's 180-degree shift on the privatization of Elliniko

ATHENS (28/9/2016)- Greece's parliament passed new reforms on Tuesday night to cut pension expenditure and transfer control of public utilities to a new asset fundThe reforms seek to unlock 2.8 billion euros ($3.14 billion) in financial loans as part of the country's latest bailout program. 

The reforms were passed by a narrow 152-141 majority vote in Greece's 300-seat parliament, after 152 parliamentary members of the ruling SYRIZA-Independent Greeks (ANEL) coalition approved the reform bill. Only one member of the coalition voted against the bill, along with all opposition members. KKE MPs voted against the anti-people package of laws- "It's about time for the Greek people to say: No more sacrifices for the profits of the few" stated in his speech the General Secretary of the CC of Communist Party of Greece Dimitris Koutsoumbas.

Thursday, June 9, 2016

European Parliament: Enormous hypocrisy by SYRIZA MEPs regarding privatizations

Source: 902.gr / 
Translation: In Defense of Communism.

The hypocrisy of SYRIZA was once again highlighted during a discussion in the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg regarding a resolution which promotes the privatization of the railways. 

More specifically, the SYRIZA MEPs signed an amendment which denounces the railways privatization, while, on the same time, they promote the privatization of the Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE) in Greece! Furthermore, some of them signed the above resolution but avoided to sign another resolution which calls the governments (the SYRIZA-ANEL government in Greece as well) to reject the privatizations of the railways! Hypocrisy at it's best!

Addressing the plenary session the KKE MEP Sotiris Zarianopoulos said the following:

"KKE votes against the resolution because it further promotes the privatization of the railways project, in detriment to the industry's workers and the passengers as well. 

Friday, April 8, 2016

For Capital's sake: SYRIZA government sold Piraeus port to chinese shipping giant COSCO

Sources: Reuters & 902.gr.

The Greek government sealed on Friday the sale of its biggest port to chinese shipping giant COSCO Shipping Corporation, the second major privatization for the bailed out country since late last year.
China COSCO's chairman Xu Lirong, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and the head of Greece's privatization agency signed the 368.5 million euro ($419.43 million) contract in Athens. Under the deal, China Cosco will acquire 51 percent of Piraeus Port (OLP) for 280.5 million euros and the remaining 16 percent for 88 million, after five years once it concludes mandatory investments, which will amount to 350 million euros over the next decade.
Prime Minister and SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras said that the privatization of Piraeus port is the starting point for upcoming investments in the country. Mr.Tsipras defiantly argued that his government's major concern is the protection of the labour rights of the dockworkers- on the same time the chinese shipping giant already applies "galley-slave" conditions in Piraeus.