Labor rights in Greece

Greece is not industrialized, as it was in the 1920s or 1930s. All but some steel and coal mining industries have closed or moved to other countries. Tourism is the main industry now. The labor movement, active between the world wars, established social insurance and education as a right. Social services are free to all.

The ruling parties, both Right and Center, have been trying to take those back. This moment of crisis is a great opportunity for them: they are generating a lot of propaganda that there is no other way out. People are desperate and the Left has nothing to offer. The big trade unions, which organized the one-day general strike, are a part of the government.

The Communist Party is Stalinist to the bone. Their "united front" consists only of those who fully agree with them. Many other small Left groups have no access to workers and they have not been able to work together. They are trying to form a second Left Party, combining reformists, progressives, intellectuals, etc.

The radical Left had some appeal with their calls to revolt after the police killed 15-year old Alexandros Grigoropoulos in December 2008 (see "Greek youth spark international revolt," N&L Dec. 2008-Jan. 2009 and "Revolutionary Greek revolt continues," Feb.-Mar. 2009). But any coalitions they might have formed are splitting too.

It is unusual for a general strike to be called for July. Strikes are usually of workers in the public sector, which is riddled with nepotism and corruption. People are disgusted, which led to some privatizing.

People believe some sectors, like electricity, water, education, and healthcare should continue to be public and free. But there is no solidarity for the bank workers, for example. Even with strikes the workers are losing faith that they have any power. They have not gotten material gains despite massive strikes. For years our only "wins" were to postpone attacks against us.

People are trying to fight, but they have no clear way, no ideals or goals. "Radical" programs sound like pipe dreams. The "Take the guns now" calls for revolution are laughable. A program with a chance would aim in the beginning at fixing obvious wrongs: prosecute rich tax evaders, let companies go bankrupt, etc.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) insisted on slashing all public sector budgets. They were supposed to reform the private sector, too, but let them do what they want. The IMF is not out to save the economy but to slash workers' standard of living.

Greece is not different than other places, there is no solution within capitalism. Yet the Left has no solutions either. Their call to strengthen the government is not radical enough. We need to abolish the state, go beyond private property. There is a lack of real radical theory that goes beyond reformism.

German workers had a strike saying, "We are all Greek." But if the revolt does not spread, it will remain just messages of solidarity.

--Natalia and Diamantis

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