For the defense of the working class against the capitalist offensive and in solidarity for the resistance in Greece
http://www.labournetaustria.at
Five years of the deepest economic recession since 1929 and unbelievably impoverishment on the European continent and global ecological destruction are continue. At the same time there has been no effective mass working class mobilization organized by the large federations of trade unions of Europe and the EGB/ETUC. Although there have been strikes and general strikes with 24- or 48-hours in single countries like Greece, France Portugal, Italy or Spain without they could stop Austerity-Politik of the capital. Strikes of some weeks like the French refinery workers in October 2010, these were the exceptions. Capital and EU Troika can and have acted unilaterally in 2012!
Pressed to the wall, some radical smaller trade unions like the Andalusian Agrarian trade union SAT, stormed two supermarkets exclusively in the service of the working population at the beginning of August to support homeless and impoverished people. So this is the situation in Europe 2012!
They want to smash the European welfare state permanently
The European large capital, its EU Troika and zealous EU governments want to liquid the Collective Agreement Negotiations of wages and working time. The EU Troika brings in the negotiations with the „fault“ countries the demand to transfer wage negotiations on an operational level. In the future, wages, working time etc. will be regulated in operational agreements to further weaken the power of resistance of the trade unions, cut the pay and extend working time! The chief strategist of the EuropeanTrade Union ( ETUC), Ronald Jansen, recently stated that for all of Europe “ Greece and Portugal are the laboratory rabbit„.
After five years crisis: The ETUC has failed completely
The „large“ (northern) federations ETUC (DGB and ÖGB) refuse every general strike and a Europe-wide strike. The new Spanish ETUC president Ignacio Fernández Toxo acts without doubt on this line although perhaps he is part in the „southern associations“ ETUC who votes for an „Europe-wide strike day“. The ETUC strategy during these five crisis years so consisted mainly words to oppose EU boards: „We raise our voice in the European Parliament, toward the EU Commission and the Central Bank anyway. We offer our doubts and protest there. I have just written a sharp letter to Commissioner Olli Rehn.“ (John Monks, ETUC- Generalsecretary 2011). A couple of years ago the ETUC organized a „European Day of Action“ in Brussels where mainly trade union officials demonstrated. For the large capital and EU-Troika this was farsical but for millions of workers whose pay and lifetime are stolen and millions unemployed young and old people who became impoverished it is pure cynicism.
Solidarity for the Greek resistance and Syriza
Greece is not only the test laboratory of the large capital and the EU Troika, how far they could attack the European welfare state. It is also that country in Europe with the strongest „radically left-wing“ resistance. The most important reaction of the Greek people was, that a „radically left-wing“ power almost became the strongest party and could be forcing back only in the legislature by undemocratic laws (and will be totally ignored in the Mainstream media in Western Europe after the elections). The strong growth of the Electoral Alliance Syriza in Greece is primarily the expression of the previous strike fights of the workers, small officials and impoverished middle-class persons, after they suffered „economic“ defeats after 14 general strikes (restricted to 24 or 48 hours) so they tried it „politically“ with SYRIZA to stop the policy of social cuts! If Syriza fails, an enormous upswing of the fascist hordes of the „Golden Dawn“ threatens! The two big Trade Unions GSEE and PAME, weakened by the abolition of area contracts already, plan new strikes in autumn. Syriza supports them. Let’s support the Greek resistance!
Let us mobilize for the Athenian Joint Social Conference in Athens 2013
In Spain the trade unions UGT and CCOO announce a „hot autumn“; the Indignados („Outraged“) renew a year after their rebellion one year ago. Cooperation of strikes and city- occupation actions could become the optimal start of a „Hot Autumn“ in Spain! So we can expect that a new series of strikes and city occupation actions will take place in Europe in autumn. 2012 is time to raise this resistance qualititatively on a new level! Let us mobilize relevant left trade unions like FIOM, COBAS, SULTA (Italy), CGTP (Portugal), SUD (France) among others, for the Athenian Joint Social Conference in Athens 2013 to work out an European programme for mass working class action against the social clearcutting, racism/fascism and for democracy in common with activists and organisations of the European Anticapitalist Left!
We must be clear, that only with an upswing of the rebellion of broad workers and people masses in single countries or transnational such a programme for action like unlimited general strikes (amendment) can be achieved. We are convinced, that the unlimited general strike could develop that has the power to stop the war of the capital against the big part of the European population and basis for a new social Europe. Left trade unionists and the anticapitalist Left must be prepared for such an radicalized situation! Let us begin!.
LabourNet-Austria ( labournet@labournetaustria.at )
Vienna, 23.8.2012