WORKERS in Greece are building up a tremendous multi-form action front, with occupations of ministries and state buildings, strikes and demonstrations, against the barbaric government Bill of huge wage and pension cuts, tens of thousands of sackings and the destruction of national collective agreements.
On Tuesday morning the Interior Ministry, the Culture Ministry and the General State Accountancy Office were occupied as well as scores of public services and enterprises buildings. Hundreds of secondary schools are under students’ occupation.
Museum workers declared a 48-hour strike.
Local government workers were carrying out national mobilisations, with refuse depots still under occupation.
The powerful Oil and Chemical workers union, employees of the state oil refineries to be sold off, have entered the fight, declaring an indefinite strike.
Bank and port workers, tax and customs offices have decided on week-long or indefinite strikes starting next Monday. Athens public sector workers are set for 48-hour strike this week.
The GSEE (Greek TUC) and the ADEDY (civil servants and public service unions) have called a one-off 24-hour strike for October 19, a decision that has enraged workers, as they believe that one-day general strikes are nothing but a ‘futile shot’.
In a press conference, the ADEDY president, K. Tsikrikas, stated that the government on IMF-EC orders are to impose starvation wages, in both the private and public sector, of just 450 euros (about £400) for school leavers and 660 euros for university graduates a month!
The ADEDY decided to call a 48-hour national strike for next Tuesday and Wednesday October 17-18.
But union after union is voting for strike action and occupations from Monday, thus a de facto indefinite general strike is developing like an avalanche, demanding the overthrow of the Papandreou government.
The Greek Trotskyists of the Revolutionary Marxist League are campaigning for occupation and strikes along with the formation of workers’ councils and committees for the overthrow of Papandreou and of capitalism and the formation of a workers’ and small farmers’ government.
