Greek Steelworks union: “Now we have more experience, they will not bring us down”

Greek Steelworks union: “Now we have more experience, they will not bring us down”

In their announcement, the union of Greek Steelworks pointed out:

“Fellow steelworkers,

Yesterday the owner of the company decided to dismiss another six pioneering fellow workers, among them the treasurer of the union. The aim of the employer is to continue terrorising and avenging the steelworkers who have fought a proud and heroic struggle against the company’s anti-worker plans and the dismissal of 120 co-workers.

The aim of the employer is to crush and dissolve our union, so that the workers have no-one to rely on.

The employer and his apparatus are mistaken if they think that after such a struggle the steelworkers are not able to distinguish between their friends and enemies.

Once again, our message to them is that they are going to fail.

We have steeled ourselves and we are strong. Now we have more experience, they will not bring us down.

We are not alone against the employer and his allies, the government, the bourgeois media, the riot police and the entire repressive apparatus. We have our own allies at our side, the class-oriented labour movement and all workers.

Colleagues,

The governing body of the union has decided to take action to deal with the employer’s ongoing attacks as well as his intention to impose a near-slavery regime at the plant and carry on with intimidating and reprisal layoffs.

We intend to intervene at the level of the Ministry for Labour and the Ministry for Justice, call for tripartite meetings, bring legal action to reverse the layoffs and call for the intervention of the Athens and Piraeus Bar Associations for backing up our struggle.

The STEELWORKERS will not kneel down. We will stand by our Union and continue to fight for our rights and the daily bread of our children.

Terror shall not pass!”

The Radical, Friday 3 August 2012

Translated by: Effie A.