Greek workers join European strikes against austerity

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On Nov. 20, a Greek socialist addressed a Toronto forum on the topic “General Strikes Against Auster­ ity.” The speaker, via skype, was Nicos Loudus of the SEK (Socialist Workers’ Party in Greece). SEK is part of the anti-capitalist alliance ANTARSYA, in which the OKDE (the Greek Fourth International section) and 10 other leftist parties participate. The Toronto meeting was sponsored by the International Socialists.

Loudus reported the following: At the European Union/IMF meeting in Brussels the troika promised Greece $30 billion if it would proceed with deeper austerity measures. The money is not yet delivered, even though the Greek parliament voted narrowly for the latest “package” of cuts and layoffs.

On Nov. 14 workers in Greece went on a three-hour strike in tandem with general strikes across Europe against capitalist austerity. Workers in Spain and Por­ tugal coordinated their protests, for the first time in years. The Greek workers occupied train and subway stations, among other transit points. The strike took place on the heels of a 48-hour strike there earlier in the month.

The latest protest was followed three days later with a commemorative march on the anniversary of the Nov. 17, 1973, uprising at the Polytechnic University against the right-wing military dictatorship. On that date, the military fired upon and killed a number of protesters. According to Socialist Action reporter Mar­ ty Goodman in Athens, an estimated 30,000 people marched on Nov. 17.

Loudis reported that some 200 town halls have been occupied across Greece. Why? To prevent municipal officials from providing the conservative government coalition with the names of local employees to be laid off in the next round of cuts. Also, university employ­ ees seized an important downtown Athens building, which they occupied.

Although the Samaras coalition government nomi­ nally has 179 seats, only 153 MPs voted for the latest package demanded by the troika (European Union, In­ ternational Monetary Fund, and the European Bank). And that was after a major campaign of brutal intimi­ dation (“Vote for this, or there will be no money and there will be mass hunger”).

The latest opinion polls show the reformist coalition SYRIZA in first place. MPs are quitting the New De­ (Left) ANTARSYA marchers in Nov. 17 Athens commemoration of 1973 massacre of students by military dictatorship. mocracy conservatives and the ex-social democratic PASOK. SYRIZA’s gains are shallow and confined to the parliamentary area, but they do reflect working-class rejection of the capitalist austerity agenda.

In the workplaces and on the streets there is little sign of SYRIZA, which is keen to cultivate an image of “responsibility” and is determined to keep Greece in the Eurozone. A conference planned to transform SYRIZA into a centralized “left” party was cancelled when the SYRIZA tops realized that they might not be able to control the outcome.

The ruling class might favour the re-establishment of the former two-party system, in which the two biggest parties (loyal to the capitalist order) take turns in gov­ ernment. New Democracy and SYRIZA would be the alternating parties of rule, with SYRIZA replacing PA­ SOK. But under the present circumstances something like that is very unstable. One problem for the ruling class is that the New Democracy Party is shrinking in public support and may not be able to stablize as the favoured bourgeois option. The other problem is that the rulers do not want a “left-wing” government, which could lead to uncontrolled reactions by the ex­ ploited and oppressed.

ANTARSYA is increasingly visible in the protests against austerity, and poised to play a leading role. At a recent major rally in Athens, ANTARSYA and the ul­ tra-Stalinist Communist Party of Greece (KKE) led the huge crowd to the Israeli Embassy to express solidar­ ity with the Palestinian people of Gaza. SYRIZA did not participate.

The Golden Dawn neo-nazis are less visible now on the streets. Their attacks on leftists and minorities are fewer than previously because anti-fascist forces have confronted the GD and compelled their thugs to back away—for now. That does not mean that the fascist danger has been overcome. Polls show a continuous increase in support for the GD. The two major left par­ ties, SYRIZA and the KKE, are hardly involved in antifascist actions. Anti-immigrant racism remains a per­ nicious factor in society.

Greek communities in Canada and the United States are significant in several major cities. Golden Dawn of­ ficials announced that they aim to establish offices in Montreal and Toronto. Urgently needed is a common front of labour, socialist and progressive organizations to stop the GD neo-nazis from establishing any public presence in North America. n