Clashes between strikers and riot police occurred twice on Monday outside the Halyvourgia steel plant. The incidents started when riot police squads allowed two loaded trucks to enter the steel plant. Strikers and riot police clashed, stones flew, clubs fell on backs and tear-gas was fired to disperse the angry crowd.
At six o clock’ in the morning tension had rosen as some workers attempted to enter the plant and return to work. They were confronted by the strikers. The argument was ‘solved’ through the use of tear gas.
PAME, the union of Communist party KKE has announced a protest in Athens on Monday evening.
After an order of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras police reopened of the steel plant on Aspropyrgos on Friday. However the steel workers union decided to continue the strike. Halyvourgia steel workers went on strike nine months ago when the plant management decided massive lay-offs, reduction of working hours and salaries. On Friday, the management said it would cancel the lay-offs but workers still refuse to work on rotation basis and work for peanuts.
Blockading businesses is illegal. It’s the right of the workers to strike in a dispute about wages or workking conditions, but they are not allowed to keep others from entering or leaving factory grounds. The laws also apply to communist union PAME, and it’s high time they are enforced.
KTG, in the UK we have had steel plant and other high engery plant closed due to the costs of the carbon tax. Also, the comanies closing the plant get to make money by selling the ” carbon credits” on.
As the huge majority voted to continue the strike these by police protected “workers” are just hired scabs, may be the same thugs that tried to storm the occupied factory some weeks ago:
http://www.athensnews.gr/portal/1/57148
“Huge majority”? Ain’t it true the steel plant has 400 workers? 165 voting “yes” ain’t a majority. Apparently, only the members of the communist union voted for striking.
Striking is dangerous. People don’t strike for the fun of it. They risk losing their jobs, getting their heads bashed in by police or private security forces – they even risk retaliation against their families. In less civilized places people get tortured and murdered outright.
Strikes are a last restort and and not a measure taken lightly by the employees.
“Blockading businesses” is necessary because the employer is holding all the cards. He has ownership of the facilities, money, power, the support of other employers and the backing of the civilian magistrate.
What could the workers possibly have that can compare? They have nothing. That was the entire point of the wage system. It comes down to power and the workers have none.
Nothing but their own bodies.
And so they risk themselves and pay in their own blood so that hopefully they might achieve that one dream all parents throughout the ages have had: That their children might have it better.