GREEK METRO WORKERS FORCED INTO THE ARMY

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: february 2013 :: RMTnews 27 T he Greek government is press ganging the entire workforce of the Athens public transport network into the Greek army in an attempt to break strike action and an occupation against huge proposed pay cuts. The strike by Athens subway workers had entered its seventh day in defiance of a court ruling declaring the work action illegal. The ruling allows the government to invoke emergency powers to force the strikers back to work by means of a “civil mobilisation,” which effectively conscripts the workers into the armed forces. Over 2,500 workers face arrest including striking metro workers as well as tram and electric railway employees. Metro employees, who have already had their salaries cut, stand to lose an average of about 20 per cent of their wages as part of the EU/IMF austerity package designed to make workers’ pay for the crisis caused by reckless lending by major European banks. In December, the Greek parliament passed a new package of austerity measures that had been agreed by euro zone finance ministers as the condition for further loans to Greece. The vast bulk of Greece’s loans from the EU is immediately repatriated to the country’s international creditors, led by German and French banks, and most of what is left ends up in the coffers of Greece’s own banking elite. Metro workers’ union leader Antonis Stamatopoulos has called for their agreed collective contract to be respected and accused the government of being a “junta”. He said that the protesting workers who had gathered at the metro’s main depot in Sepolia would not be brought out of there alive. Governing calition partner Democratic Left described the civil mobilization order as “an extreme choic” but party sources said that the issue would not cause a rift within the three-party pro-EU government. PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos expressed support for crushing the strike, describing it as “unacceptable”. Hellenic Postbank workers also struck for 48 hours to protest against the state-owned operation’s privatisation and doctors and other medical staff have taken strike action. Elefsina Shipyard workers, who have not been paid for six months, began a series of 25- hour rolling strikes. T he union is delighted that the newly extended National Education Centre in Doncaster is operating at full capacity without a single hitch, writes Alan Pottage, head of Education and Organising. Our courses are packed and there isn't a spare bedroom in the building. This level of interest coupled with the positive feedback from those attending points towards another success story for our union. After their training course ends, our activists leave Doncaster feeling inspired and determined to use their improved knowledge and skills to organise even more workers into the RMT. More emphasis is placed on our reps being able to fully represent and organise their workmates and we are always looking at new ways to support and help our activists. RMT education officer Andy Gilchrist has put together an excellent range of courses that are delivered by a great team of RMT tutors, all from the workplaces we organise in. Our 'organic' style of educating workers ensures that we can all relate to one another which means all workers coming through our centre quickly relax and feel at home. There is not even a hint of elitism or exclusiveness within our successful education programme so I would encourage all of our activists to attend your local RMT branch and get yourself nominated for one of our courses. You will not regret it! AUSTERITY: A striking Metro worker paints a banner which reads "9 days on strike" as a riot police officer looks on near the entrance of subway train depot. Greek riot police have stormed to train depot but striking workers had barricaded themselves in. RMT EDUCATION- FOR WORKERS, BY WORKERS Geoff Revell addresses RMT activists in the union’s newly-extended national education centre in Doncaster. GREEK METRO WORKERS FORCED INTO THE ARMY