Thousands strike against Greek anti-union laws

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In the general election which followed in September 1982 the PvdA, then in opposition, won back support receiving 30% of the poll. The party which made big gains was the VVD, increasing its share from 17% in 1981 to 23%.

Building on the cuts introduced by the government of which the PvdA was a member, the CDA-VVD government formed on November 4 has sharply intensified the attack on the working class.

Unemployed

On 21: January 1983 de Waarheid, the daily paper of the CPN commented: 'the minister for transport and the department for the maintenance of ways and waterworks SmitKroes (VVD) is beginning more and more to develop herself into the Netherlands Thatcher."

In February the number of unemployed in the _whole country, which has a population of 14 million, reached 778,700 (the equivalent of about three million in Britain).

Offensief, the 'Marxist paper in PrdA and trade union movement' la sister paper of the British Militant), calls for a refusal to accept cuts and sackings, for the sharing of existing work without loss of pay, the opening of the books of firms which threaten dismissals and their nationalisation under workers' control and management without compensation except in cases of need, for a programme of public works, for the FNV and PvdA to coordinate action against the government including as one step the organisation of a 24 hour general strike to replace it with a majority PvdA government to carry through a socialist programme expropriating key sectors of the A SERIES of strikes and mass demonstrations throughout Greece this week have mounted a serious challenge to the 18 month old government of PASOK and created a substantially altered political situation.

On Monday and again on Thursday demonstrations and strikes took place both in Athens and in eight other major cities and towns of Greece.

In Athens 50,000 demonstrated on Monday and substantially more on Thursday, marching through the city to Constitution Square in front of the Parliament building.

The mobilisations were in response to a package of legislation by PASOK designed to curb strikes and control militants in the public services - banks, transport, electricity, hospitals, water and telephone - about 200,000 workers in all.

These have been the most militant sectors of the working class, particularly the banks and the trolley bus workers.

There are two phases to the bill. Article 4 is designed to prevent strikes in the public services; and articles one, two and three are a political move against militancy in those sections of workers through the imposition of mandatory "workers participation"

This week's demonstrtions were against article 4 which was énacted late on Thursday night (in response to which the demonstrators stayed in Constitution Square until after midnight). The second stage of the bill is due to be legislated in the autumn.

Article 4 doesn't actually outlaw strikes, but it makes them very difficult to call - most unions involved say impossible.

Under it, the unions - and the union federations - have to ballot their members and obtain a 51% vote before they can call a strike.

To make this very ditticult, PASUK utilises a peculiarity of Greek trade union organisation, requiring not 51% of financial - programme. This included withdrawal from the EEC and NATO, the removal of the US bases from Greece and the removal of the anti-union laws of the previous government.

Initially it took some measures. It abolished all anti-union laws. It made lock-outs and the hiring of scabs illegal. (It was already more or less illegal to sack strikers). -This was very progressive (extremely progressive when viewed from Thatcher's Britain).

But it was accompanied by measures which provided for state intervention into trade union structures.

Now PASOK has retreated on many of these policies. US bases for example, are not to be removed forthwith but subject to a termination date sometime in the distant future.

Cost of living rises for the last four months of 1982 have been frozen.

This backtracking, however, has now met its response, not only in the size of the demonstrations but their content -overwhelmingly working class with big contingents from the sectors affected.

This shows that PASOK has mobilised a big section of workers against it, and that situation will not easily be reversed.

From Pluto Press: an analysis of capitalism in crisis from regular Socialist Organiser contributor Bob Sutcliffe. £2.50 from bookshops, or (with 50p post and packing) from Pluto, The Works, 105a Torriano Avenue, London NWS.

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