(The following article is from the May 1-15, 2010 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $30/year, or $15 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $45 US per year; other overseas readers - $45 US or $50 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, BC, V5L 3J1.)
Special to PV
Using tactics from general strikes to road blockades, millions of workers across Europe have mounted strong resistance against the drive to make working people shoulder the burden of restoring corporate profits.
This epic struggle has been particularly sharp in Greece, where the recently-elected social democratic PASOK party quickly caved in to big business demands to slash spending. The people of Greece are being ordered by the European Union and transnational capital to accept wage freezes, tax hikes, mass layoffs, social spending cuts, and a higher pension age.
But the militant sections of the Greek labour movement have fought back, inspiring their sisters and brothers facing similar right-wing policies in Canada and many other countries. Starting last year, the communist-led PAME labour organization, which brings together trade unionists, unemployed workers and others, took the initiative to launch several powerful general strikes. Even trade unions led by PASOK itself have been forced by their own members to join these strikes, shutting down schools, government offices, docks, transportation, and other sectors.
In yet another action, public sector workers walked off the job on April 22 to press the Greek government to reject further cuts as part of a so-called "aid package" with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. Doctors, nurses, teachers, tax officials and dockers stopped work, paralyzing public services. Tens of thousands marched to the parliament buildings in Athens, where politicians were meeting to discuss the terms of a financial bailout.
"These bloodthirsty measures won't help Greece exit the crisis," said one union leader.
"We won't tolerate any more measures because we cannot make ends meet. I have a mortgage, two children, I have cut down on every luxury," said 38-year old civil servant Pavlina Parteniou. "Why don't they catch those who stole the money? Is my salary or my mother's pension of 300 euros going to save the country?"
Earlier in April, thousands of PAME supporters were joined by students, pensioners and women for demonstrations in over 60 cities and towns, condemning measures which will give new tax cuts to big capital.
Anger against the corporate agenda has erupted in other European countries. In France, train drivers recently launched their third strike this year to demand better pay and working conditions. The railway workers are fighting attempts to impose layoffs and new schedules which would undermine safety.
British Airways cabin crew walked off their jobs for seven days during March, causing hundreds of flight cancellations in another battle over pay and staffing issues. Similarly, employees at German-based Lufthansa airlines struck in April to demand that the company stop violating their collective agreement by replacing crews with lower-paid workers.
Strikes at oil giant Total have disrupted refineries across France. The union at Total is campaigning to protect job security after the company suddenly closed a major plant, throwing nearly 400 workers out of their jobs.
French unions are heading for a showdown with the Sarkozy government over plans to raise the retirement age by two or three years. The government also wants to increase the number of years that workers must contribute to qualify for a full pension.
Italy's largest trade union held a one-day strike against the government's economic and immigration policies on March 12, disrupting schools, hospitals, transport and other public services.
The left-wing CGIL union federation, which has some six million members, called a nationwide stoppage across all sectors, saying the Berlusconi administration was failing to respond to the economic crisis. Hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered in central Rome to march through the capital, carrying anti-government banners and letting off balloons.
