By voting through parliament the ‘Stability Programme’, the PASOK government, along with the European Union and the forces of capital, have declared war upon workers. In response to the economic crisis they attempt to attack workers’ rights and intensify exploitation. For the working class it is a challenge of historical proportions.
REFUSE THE BLACKMAIL BY THE EUROPEAN UNION, THE EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK AND THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND!
For the past months Greek society has been subjected to a ruthless propaganda from the Government, the conservative right, the far-right and the media concerning the ‘tragic’ state of the Greek economy. The message is: ‘we must make sacrifices’, ‘we must regain market confidence’, ‘we should persuade the EU to help Greece instead of turning to the IMF’. And now we are under a ‘triple supervision’, in fact a triple economic occupation, by the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund. And things can become even worse: According to the EU treaties when a member–state is subjected to ‘supervision’, then the finance ministers of the other member-states can decide about its economic policy without its consent.
The European Union is functioning as a junta of the forces of capital and imperialism, eager to abolish any form of labour or democratic rights. There is no solution other than disobedience to the European Union and the struggle for an anticapitalist break away from the European Union.
PASOK LEADS THE ATTACK AGAINST WORKERS
The PASOK government has attempted to convince us that they are forced to take these harsh measures against their wills. But these measures are not simple orders from the international organizations. They also represent constant demands from big business and banks and have been from the beginning central tenets of PASOK’s own programme. The reduction of wages, the limitless ability to lay-off workers, the dismantling of the redistributive pension-system, the new round of privatizations, represent the main aspects of the policies of PASOK and they serve the interests of capital. That is why it can enjoy the support of the right and the far-right.
ANTICAPITALIST STRUGGLE IS THE SOLUTION
We must turn our back to all the apologists of the capitalist system that speak of ‘harsh but necessary measures’. We must struggle against the “Stability and Growth programme’, defend and enhance worker’s rights. We must defend our rights, and destabilize the rule of capital and the EU.
We must demand:
Stop paying the debt – Increase wages and pensions. From the 55 billion euros the Greek state must borrow during 2010, 32,5 euros will go directly back to the banks, Greek and Foreign. The vicious circle of borrowing in order to pay for the debt must be broken
Tax capital, the banks and big business. For many decades wage-earners and pensioners carry the burden of taxation. Ship-owners and off shore companies are exempted from taxation and the same goes for the Greek-Orthodox Church
Reduce military expenditures not workers’ benefits. Military expenditure in Greece is between 3% and 4% of GDP. The PASOK government is buying French frigates worth 3 billion euros in order to get political support and is planning to spend a total of 10 billion euros during the next decade in armaments.
Nationalize the banks and big companies that fail, reverse the privatization of Utilities and implement forms of workers’ control. The 6 bigger Greek banks had in 2008 total profits of 4,8 billion euros. They also received a generous state aid package of 28 billion, at the same time openly speculating on public debt borrowing from the European Central Bank at 1% interest and then lending the Greek State at much higher interest.
We must demand better wages, we must take back social wealth that has been stolen from us. 1400 euros minimum salary.
Immediate reduction in working hours in order to deal with unemployment. Steady and decent jobs for all. A legal ban on redundancies. No to flexible work forms.
Public pension system for all. Full pension at 58 years for men and 55 years for women. Give back to the pension funds money that has been stolen from them for decades. No to all forms of employment without insurance.
Disobedience / rupture with the European Union, and its treaties (Maastricht, Lisbon etc). Anticapitalist struggle to break away from the European Union. Breaking away from the European Union is not a disaster but the only way for a better future for workers.
UNITY IN STRUGGLE OF WORKERS – COOPERATION OF THE FORCES OF THE LEFT
Against the declaration of war by the EU, the forces of capital and the ‘black front’ of PASOK, the Right and the Far Right, what is need is the broadest possible coalition of struggle in order to defend and broaden the workers’ rights, to overthrow the Stability Programme and government policies and create conditions of rupture with the policies of the EU. Unity in Struggle in the unions, in strikes, in demonstrations, can be victorious!
THE STRUGGLE AND THE STRIKES MUST BE IN THE HANDS OF THE WORKERS
They say that these measures are inescapable. We say that there is also another road, that of struggle by the workers themselves, with escalating strikes that will have real impact on the government and bosses. We need mass general assemblies at the unions, strike committees and coordination of rank and file unions. We must distrust the trade union bureaucracy, especially that of the General Labour Confederation (GSEE).
We must turn our back to the defeatism and fatalism and refuse calls to surrender. We must bear in mind that facing an escalation of worker’s mobilization the government will be forced to change policy. We must not forget the victorious strikes against the pension reform in 2001, the successful defense of public higher education in 2006-2007 and the December 2008 rebellion. We must fight against the dictatorship of capital and the markets and continue the struggle to the end!
The success of the strike on March 11 and the mass rallies all over Greece that defied police repression is a cause of optimism in the struggle against the Stability Programme. Worker’s disobedience against the ‘markets’. The big and militant rally in Athens marched proudly against the attacks by police special forces with tear gas.
Now it is the time to escalate the mobilization. Initiatives like that by the Federation of Electricity Workers to strike are more than welcome. We need strikes of long duration in all sectors, at schools, hospitals, state-controlled companies. We need a new 48hr general strike in the public and private sector. We must not capitulate, nor wait for the next wave of attacks. Now it is time for struggle against the paralytic attitude of the trade union bureaucracy.
ANTARSYA calls upon the forces of the left and workers that until now supported PASOK to build a big and powerful class front in order to overthrow the stability programme and the policies of the government. We can build a powerful and victorious movement. We need an anticapitalist alternative against the monstrosity of capitalism and the policies of the European Union.
They thought we were weak. They were wrong. We have the power to make them retreat!
OVERTHROW THE STABILITY PROGRAMME AND THE POLICIES OF THE GOVERNMENT, THE EU, AND CAPITAL
STRIKES – OCCUPATIONS – DEMONSTRATIONS UNTIL THEY TAKE BACK THE STABILITY PROGRAMME
CAPITALISTS MUST PAY FOR THE CRISIS, NOT WORKERS!
Δεν υπάρχουν σχόλια:
Δημοσίευση σχολίου