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GREEK teachers delivered a major blow to the right wing government of Prime Minister Mitsotakis last Wednesday after courts had declared as ‘illegal’ the primary teachers’ strike.
With backing from ADEDY (Federation of Public Sector Workers), teachers staged a highly successful strike and held mass rallies in all major cities.
Angry teachers defied the court’s ban on their strike and held a militant rally and march of over 3,000 in Athens.
They protested against the government’s actions to sack teachers for trade union activities, for supporting Palestine, and for demanding an end to the ‘evaluation’ of schools and teachers, as well as wage increases to meet the huge rise in the cost of living.
Teachers held banners stating ‘we are going to win’ and ‘illegal of the world unite’, marching with enthusiasm and determination while chanting anti-government slogans and singing political songs.
The court’s ban triggered an explosion of anger against the Mitsotakis government.
Following mass striking seafarers’ meetings last Wednesday in the port of Piraeus, the PNO (Federation of Greek Seafarers) voted to extend their strike for a further two days, Thursday and Friday, demanding a 12% annual wage increase, while shipowners’ companies offered 7.5% spread over three years. This was unanimously rejected by the seafarers’ unions, and the strike remains solid at 100% in all Greek ports.
A huge wave of militant strikes in health, education, ports, and ferries has developed in Greece over the last two weeks, against the right wing government of Prime Minister K Mitsotakis, who is carrying out barbaric austerity policies as ordered by the EU and NATO.
The junta of Mitsotakis, as branded by striking workers, has targeted the state health and education sectors, imposing cuts and privatisation, while food prices, household bills, and rents have doubled in the last two years.
More strikes by construction workers and delivery workers have been announced for early November.
Two weeks ago, the bureaucratic leaders of the GSEE (Greek TUC) and ADEDY, who have accepted the EU’s austerity accords, declared a one-day general strike for 20 November to contain the anger and hatred of workers against the Greek government.
It is now becoming very clear that the energy and class hatred of the Greek workers and youth will not be contained in the customary mass general strike demonstration around Athens.
Teachers and seafarers’ speakers at their strike rallies last Wednesday spoke forcefully for a determined fight against the ‘Mitsotakis junta’. It is clear that they are being pushed forward by the tremendous feelings of workers, students, and youth, who face poverty on wages of around 770 euros a month, while rents are on average 400 euros a month and electricity, telephone, and gas bills total around 200 euros a month.
It is a rebellious wave of strikes and mobilisations that has broken out in Greece.
Workers must fight against subservient trade union leadership (such as the GSEE) and strive to turn the 24-hour general strike of 20 November into an indefinite political general strike to smash the austerity accords and the Mitsotakis junta.
Seafarers, teachers, and port workers will need to take up the struggle to organise and convene a National Workers’ and Students’ Assembly to coordinate a united fight to overthrow the government and move towards establishing a workers’ government.
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