PAME’s greeting at the 58th Congress of the UD CGT13 in Marseilles: "Our future is not to become slaves of the 21st century"

A delegation of the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) Secretariat and the Union of Piraeus' Port Dockers of COSCO arrived in France to participate in the Congress of UD CGT 13 and express solidarity with the strike actions of the working class of France. The following greeting speech was delivered by George Perros, member of the Secretariat of PAME:

"Comrades,

Workers of UD CGT13 Bouches duRhones, of the historic Marseille.

May Day 2022 in Greece: "The working class does not bow its head" (VIDEO)

“The working class will not bow its head” was the message sent by thousands of demonstrators on May 1st in Athens' Syntagma Square, on the occasion of the International Workers' Day. With a militant rally, trade unions that participate in the ranks of the All-Workers' Militant Front (PAME) raised their voice against the rise of prices and Greece's involvement in the imperialist war in Ukraine.

136 years since the uprising in Chicago, in the shadow of another imperialist war that is taking place for the profits of the capitalists, in the face of the escalating attack of governments against the workers' rights, the message of the May 1st protests throughout Greece is a beacon of hope. 

COSCO dockworkers in Piraeus defy police and threats, held 24-hour massive strike

“We will not yield to their intimidation, no worker shall stand alone, not a step back from the right to strike and the defence of our rights” is the message sent by the COSCO workers who are on strike at the Piraeus port in Greece. 

“The strike is extremely successful. Very few workers have gone to work, who will soon join us”, announced the administrative board of ENEDEP (Container Handling Workers’ Trade Union at the Piers of Piraeus).

The impact of AUKUS on international developments and the stance of the communists

By the International Relations Section of the
CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE).

The tripartite “security” alliance between the US, Australia, and the UK under the name “AUKUS”, announced on 15/09/2021, constitutes a new important development in the structure of imperialist alliances.

What does this development mean and which additional tasks arise for the communist movement?

Greece: Significant victory for COSCO dockworkers!

After seven days of strike, the dockworkers of COSCO at Piraeus Port in Greece came victorious, as the employers were forced to accept most of their demands. The good news were announced yesterday, Thursday 4/11, during a rally held by Trade Unions in Athens. 

According to information, after negotiations of the Ministry of Shipping with Piraeus bodies and company executives, there was a framework to satisfy the demands of the employees, while COSCO accepted the application of shift and increase of the post from four to six people, in the composition health and safety committee, while abolishing the counter-shift.

Workers Lives Matter: Solidarity with the struggle of Cosco workers in Greece

On Monday 25th October, 46 year-old dockworker Dimitris Daglis was killed at pier 2 at the Cosco-owned Piraeus Port Container Station, after he was fatally hit by a crane bridge. 

"It's not the 'bad' moment. It is a result of the intensification of work, the lack of safety measures for our health and our integrity ", the Union of Container Workers at Piraeus Port (ENEDEP) underlined in its statement, declaring a strike in response to the tragic event. 

Worker killed at Cosco-owned Piraeus Port in Greece

A 46-year-old dockworker was killed on Monday afternoon at pier 2 at the Piraeus Container Station, when, under unclear circumstances, he was fatally hit by a crane bridge.

"It's not the 'bad' moment. It is a result of the intensification of work, the lack of safety measures for our health and our integrity ", the Union of Container Workers at Piraeus Port underlines in its statement, demanding 6-hour shifts, abolition of counter shifts, conversion of all contracts into full and Health and Safety Committees by employees. 

The developments in the Greek Trade Union movement and the negative role of GSEE

The last years the workers in Greece have faced an extremely brutal attack from employers, governments, the EU. 

The consequences of this attack have resulted in wage cuts, abolition of rights, attacks against the collective organization of workers so that they will be easily exploitable by the bosses.

Against this attack the workers had an important weapon of resistance PAME, the class unions of Greece. Those trade unions, that since the first day were at the forefront of the struggle, of information, organization and mobilization of the working class against the anti-workers hurricane that was being prepared.

COSCO dockworkers in Piraeus go on strike over collective agreements

Giant banner at Piraeus' tower promoting September 7th
dockworkers' strike.

In a statement, the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) calls every trade union, federation, Regional Trade Union Center, every worker and unionist to stand by the great struggle of the workers at the piers of Piraeus who continue their  struggle with a new Strike on Friday 7 September so as to sign Collective Contract.

We call on the trade unions of each country, in particular the Trade Unions in Ports and Transport Workers, to express Solidarity and Support to the COSCO Workers' Strike at Piraeus Port.

Workers at Greece's Piraeus port denounce intimidation tactics by COSCO

Workers of the COSCO shipping giant at the Port of Piraeus are outraged by an incident that took place last week and shows the terrorist methods used by the Chinese multinational. 

More specifically, as the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) refers in a statement, under the commands of COSCO, unidentified henchmen assaulted the President of the COSCO Workers' Union Markos Bekris, thus causing him injuries.

PAME states that "the attack took place last week during the Union’s briefing to the workers, in the middle of the day, while the union is on procedures of collective bargaining."

Solidarity with the dockworkers of Piraeus - COSCO's employer "terrorism" shall not pass

Photo from the dockworkers assembly in the Port.

On Wednesday 6 June the dockworkers at the port of Piraeus will organize a new strike, in an effort to organize their struggle against the orgy of employer terrorism exercised by the chinese multinational COSCO. 

On May 31st, COSCO filed a suit demanding the workers’ strike be called illegal and stopped. Based on the new anti-trade union legislation imposed by the SYRIZA-ANEL Government the Court of Piraeus convened immediately and called the Strike illegal.

PM Alexis Tsipras in China: Promoting the interests and aspirations of Greek capitalists

The role of Greece as a "bridge" between China and the EU is the major aim of the Greek government, in an effort to promote and expand the aspirations of the country's bourgeoisie. The visit of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in Beijing, on the occasion of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (May 14-15) serves this purpose. 

Greece is at a crossroads of three continents, it constitutes an important hub in the economic, energy and cultural sectors and can serve as a bridge between China and Europe, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Saturday in a meeting with the Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Chinese giant COSCO to PM Tsipras: "Dockworkers' strikes must be restricted"!

The official trip of Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to China included everything: from sightseeing tour in the Great Wall and high-level talks with the Chinese government to agreements with some of the country's biggest monopoly groups. 

'Cosco', the shipping giant which holds the 51% of the Piraeus Port Authority (one of Europe's largest seaports), is one of these multinational giants which seeks in multiplying its profits from the investments in Greece. Prime Minister Tsipras met with the 'Cosco' boss Xu Lirong in Shanghai where they discussed the possibility of extending the collaboration between the Chinese giant and the Greek state. 

According to Greek media, Lirong asked from Tsipras to take any possible measure for the restriction of the strikes in Piraeus Port! Seems that 'Cosco' isn't pleased enough with the galley working conditions that exist in Greece's largest port and wants to extend the exploitation against dockworkers. Of course, this demand by 'Cosco' goes along the upcoming 2nd evaluation of the bailout agreement which includes new barbaric anti-workers laws, restriction of strikes, etc. 

For Capital's sake: SYRIZA government sold Piraeus port to chinese shipping giant COSCO

Sources: Reuters & 902.gr.

The Greek government sealed on Friday the sale of its biggest port to chinese shipping giant COSCO Shipping Corporation, the second major privatization for the bailed out country since late last year.

China COSCO's chairman Xu Lirong, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and the head of Greece's privatization agency signed the 368.5 million euro ($419.43 million) contract in Athens. Under the deal, China Cosco will acquire 51 percent of Piraeus Port (OLP) for 280.5 million euros and the remaining 16 percent for 88 million, after five years once it concludes mandatory investments, which will amount to 350 million euros over the next decade.

Prime Minister and SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras said that the privatization of Piraeus port is the starting point for upcoming investments in the country. Mr.Tsipras defiantly argued that his government's major concern is the protection of the labour rights of the dockworkers- on the same time the chinese shipping giant already applies "galley-slave" conditions in Piraeus.