The steelworkers

5 months of strike

Solidarityto the steelworkers from all over the world

“The steel is tempered into the strong fi re and the great cold. That was how and our generation was tempered, and learned not to surrender”

N.Ostrowski

The Beggining

On October of 2011, the owner of Greek Steelworks/Helliniki Halivourgia puts the workers under the blackmailing dilemma “5hour workday, in addition to wage cuts, or dismissal of 180 workers out of the 400”. The steelworkers in their General Assem-bly proudly refuse. No dismissals-No wage cuts. The employer re-sponds by realizing the fi rst dismissals. The steelworkers do not back down. The follow the decision of their general assembly: in case of a dismissal, stop production, STRIKE! The beginning takes place on 31st of October, 2011.

General Assembly at Helliniki Halivourgia

Solidarity Demonstration at Canary Islands

CANARY ISLANDS

Slaughtering workers~ rights,one way for the capitalists

The owner of the steel industry, certainly, did not expect this kind of answer. He was used to, to terrorize with dismissals and to win. However, he does not retreat, because, he has the support of all the capitalists, who also want to cut the wages, to be relieved by workers’ rights. This was proven also, by the position of the Minister of Labour, who defended the employer in every way possible. The employer, who uses all possible means to break the strike. Like “vis-its” to the steelworkers’ houses, the media, the police. The most disgusting slander, the most insidious accusations.

Demonstration of the steelworkers

Militants protested at the greek consulate at Houston

USA-HOUSTON

Under suspicious anonymous articles, in addition to reactionary announcements of MPs and organizations saying that the struggle of the steelworkers is a “blind confl ict”, or that this unbroken strug-gle will “shut down the factory”. Those are arguments targeting to break the decisiveness and the class oriented stand of the strikers. At the same time, the steelworkers have to face, day-by-day the fi nancial diffi culties that such a long lasting struggle results.

Slaughtering workers~ rights,one way for the capitalists

Solidarity Concert at the gates of Halivourgia factory

Representatives of Trade Unions, People’s Committees and Political Parties demonstrated outside the Embassy of Greece in Cataluna, Spain

CATALUNA

Since the fi rst day, PAME stands on the steelworkers’ side and sup-ports all the decisions and the efforts of the steelworkers union. PAME makes their struggle known in the area, and highlights that at this moment, they are the vanguard of defense for the whole working class against the capitalists’ attack. Turning point was PA-ME’s call to every worker, to the trade unions and people’s organi-zation for immediate material and moral support of the steelwork-ers’ struggle, at the end of their 3rd week of unbreakable struggle.

Workers~ Weapon Is Class Solidarity

Steelworkers’ wives supporting their husbands’ struggle

HALIVOURGIA FACTORY

Visit of Trade Unions from WFTU (AITUC-INDIA,VGCL-VIETNAM, PEO-CYPRUS) to the Halivourgia

The response is heartbreaking…unemployed, dismissed workers give fi nancial aid, schools from the area organize solidarity demon-strations, farmers send food, actors from PAME give performance inside the factory, in the trade unions, the forces of PAME orga-nize lectures to inform and express solidarity. The support escalates with strikes in the area, as well as in Athens on the 17th of January and also 2 strikes at the other factory of the owner that goes on strike for fi rst time after 24 years!

Workers~ Weapon Is Class Solidarity

PAME delivers material support to the steelworkers

Protest at Andalucia

SPAIN-ANDALUCIA

The steelworkers exposed, through their action and strength, those forces within the trade union movement that associate their inter-ests with those of the capitalists. Like the leaderships of GSEE and Workers’ Federation in Metal, who for a very long time, and while the strike of the steelworkers was developing and the solidarity was growing constantly, they said not a word of solidarity. The refused the calls of PAME and the steelworkers for solidarity strikes.

And The Exposure Of The Enemies

Solidarity demonstration to the steelworkers

Protest at the Greek Embassy

SWEDEN

In the strike of January 17th, the president of the steelworkers’ trade union transferred the experience from their struggle:“We came this far because from the start, we took our struggle outside the gates of the steel industry, we made the decisions we were taking, a matter for the whole working class. Through our 8 general assemblies, that we did, we called the workers to make their work places into steel industries…we went and spoke to doz-ens of workplaces, workers’ meetings and other people’s meet-ings…we organized meetings, concerts at the factory’s gates. Demonstrations.

Organization Of The Struggle In Every Sector, Factory, Company

The gates of Halivourgia

Poster of the Solidarity Concert for the steelworkers

CYPRUS

We organized a series of events inside the factory, concerts, and events for the women, for our children, book’s presentations, mov-ies. All these contributed in order our struggle to become known, a matter of all workers. These helped us to hold on and to contin-ue…because, as always we have on our side the organized, class trade union movement, PAME, that supports all our decisions and efforts, that has the most important part in the day-by-day organi-zation of solidarity”

Organization Of The Struggle In Every Sector, Factory, Company

Students visit the steel workers

HALIVOURGIA FACTORY

Visit of USB ITALY

A special element for the steelworkers was the solidarity from work-ers, all around the globe. Through WFTU their struggle becomes known globally. Hundreds solidarity messages arrive, proving the importance of the steelworkers’ strike in international level. The steelworkers were very moved by the visits, at the factory’s gates, of delegations of foreign trade unions, invited by WFTU or PAME. Also the many initiatives to express solidarity, like protests at em-bassies of Greece, concerts, fi nancial aid and more.

Solidarity From Workers From All Over The World

Solidarity visit of delegations from the 13th IMCWP

Protest at the Greek Embassy by the trade union Mexicano Electresistas

MEXICO

Their greatest victory is their class unity, their class solidar-ity that transcends the borders of Greece. Their greatest achievement is that they overcame the capital’s lack-eys, they cleared friends from enemies and they move forward with their heads held high, having made crystal clear that they are ready for the strongest class struggle.

The 400 Steelworkers Have Already Won

Demonstration of the steelworkers

Organisations that sent messages of Solidarity

International OrganisationsWorld Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU-FSM)TUI of METAL & MINING of WFTUTUI of BUILDING-UITBB of WFTUTUI BIFU of WFTUEuropean Offi ce of WFTU

EUROPE1. PORTUGAL: FEHSAT2. RUSSIA: C.W.P.R.-R.P.C.3. RUSSIA: TU of STAPELSCHKOV Factory Workers’ Committe, Leningrad4. RUSSIA: TU of Mytisch, Moscow5. RUSSIA: Organization of CPof Russian Federation of Yoratsi Klouts6. RUSSIA: Alliance of Workers’ Unions “DEFENSE OF LABOR”7. GERMANY: 35 workers from Bremen, Factory of MERCEDES-BENZ8. NETHERLANDS: NCPN9. DENMARK: Greek Community of Denmark10. BELGIUM: WPB-Metal Sector11. BELGIUM: Metalworkers from Liege12. BELGIUM: TU Front- CSC Metal, CNE Arcelor Mittal, MVB Liege Luxemburg FGTB, SETCA-FGTB13. FRANCE: Metal Workers Federation14. FRANCE: Union of Revolutionary Communists of France URCF15. FRANCE: Front Syndicale de Classe16. LITHUANIA: Socialist People’s Front17. ITALY: TU Confederation from Sardinia18. TURKEY: Revolutionary Movement of Public Sector Employees19. TURKEY:Revolutionary Workers Movement20. TURKEY: TAYAD-Families of Political Prisoners21. TURKEY: Magazine “THE STRUGGLE” 22. TURKEY: Solidarity committee for the Political Prisoners in Turkey and Kurdisthan23. TURKEY: People’s Front

24. TURKEY: DISK25. SWEDEN: CP of Sweden26. SWEDEN: TU of METRO-Workes of Stocholm SEKO CLUB 11127. SPAIN: Seccion Sindical de CGT Corres of Alicante28. SPAIN: TU La Rioja29. SPAIN: CGT Henares and Guadalajara30. SPAIN: Federacion de Servizos, Galicia31. SPAIN: Central Obreira Galega32. SPAIN: CUO, Leon33. SPAIN: Education Sector of Alicante34. SPAIN: Committes For Class Unity from Leon35. SPAIN: CSU de Pensionistas y Jubilados.36. SPAIN: RED ROJA37. SPAIN: Trabajadores de Indulacsa38. BASQUE COUNTRY: LAB39. BASQUE COUNTRY: Seccion Sindical CGT Ibermutuamur40. BASQUE COUNTRY: Workers from Basque Public TV41. CATALAN: Trade Union COS42. CATALAN: 21 Grupo SEAT

AMERICA1. HONDURAS:Federation of Workers in Water-Supply SITRASANAAYS2. HONDURAS Workers Federation FUH3. COSTA-RICA: UNDECA4. BRASIL: UNIÃO SINDICAL DOS TRABALHADORES - UST5. BRASIL: CGTB6. BRASIL: CTB7. VENEZUELA: CP of Venezuela8. VENEZUELA: Corriente Clasista de Trabajadores “Cruz Villegas”9. PERU: National Confederation of Metallurgist and Electric Mechanical Workers of Peru

Organisations that sent messages of Solidarity

CEMETAL10. ARGENTINA: ATE-CTA11. ARGENTINA: CTA12. ARGENTINA: CONAT-CTA13. ARGENTINA: Union Obrera Metalurgica Seccional Santa Fe14. CHILE: Chilean Safety Association ACHS15. CHILE: SINTACHS16. CHILE: Coordinador FSM - Chile17. CANADA: Greek Workers’ Union, Montreal18. CANADA: Union of Members of the Resistance, Montreal19. COLOMBIA: FUNTRAENERGETICA20. COLOMBIA: Colombian Team of WFTU21. PANAMA: CNTP22. PANAMA: Frente Reformista de Educadores Panameños-FREP23. MEXICO: Sindicato Mexicano de Electricistas24. USA: United Steel Workers

AFRICA1. CAMEROON: FESCOS CAM

ASIA-AUSTRALIA1. AUSTRALIA: Federation Of Greek Workers’ Progressive Unions2. AUSTRALIA: Maritime Workers of Australia, Sydney Branch3. PHILIPPINES: TUPAS4. PAKISTAN: APFUTU5. PAKISTAN: PLF6. PAKISTAN: GFTU7. PAKISTAN: PLF8. PAKISTAN: APFUTU9. PAKISTAN: CP of Pakistan10. INDIA: TUCC

MIDDLE-EAST1. PALESTINE: General Union of Palestine Workers2. PALESTINE: Mechanics Union3. IRAN: Workers’ House