Workers in Europe resist layoffs, cutbacks

By John Catalinotto

Oct 17, 2011

Most news published in the corporate media here about the problems in the “eurozone” involve the threat of Greece declaring bankruptcy and this spreading to Portugal and maybe even Spain and Italy.

This financial crisis, however, has another side more important to those interested in the fate of the working class worldwide. The European ruling class and its politicians aim to make the European workers pay to rescue the banks that are at risk. This means greater unemployment, lower wages and fewer government benefits. That’s the real crisis for the working class.

Europe’s workers are on the defensive, but they are resisting. The best organized resistance is from Greece and Portugal, where communist parties have influence with large sectors of the workers, but there are signs of resistance throughout the continent.

On Oct. 1, some 180,000 workers marched in Lisbon and Porto, responding to the call of the major trade union federation, the CGTP. According to the online magazine odiario.info, “More significant even than the mass expression of these important initiatives have been the fighting spirit and determination expressed” by the working class.

The right-wing Social Democrat/Christian Democrat regime has been carrying on a “relentless offensive against the workers and people,” but they are now meeting a strong resistance, writes Odiario.

Workers held massive demonstrations on Sept. 28 in the major cities of Greece. Then government workers and those in former public companies that have been privatized had a national strike on Oct. 5 against tax increases, layoffs and pay cuts. The taxation of low pay ($480 per month) and pensions ($535 per month) as well as real estate, with a rate per square meter to be charged on electricity bills, are some of the odious measures approved by the Greek Parliament last week. (Avante, Oct. 7)

However, as emphasized by the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), the anti-people offensive is “not temporary” and will continue until the workers are completely stripped of their wages and benefits.

According to the government’s latest plan, announced Oct. 2, “Athens wants to eliminate 30,000 jobs in the civil service in order to save 300 million euros. … The goal is to reduce public services by 30 percent by 2013, [which] will involve the reduction of 150,000 workers. However, unions are preparing to paralyze the country with a general strike on Oct. 19.” (Avante, Oct. 7)

In Britain, according to the police estimate about 30,000 people, mobilized by the TUC trade union confederation, demonstrated on Oct. 2 in Manchester in protest against the government policies of Prime Minister David Cameron, who was in that city to be at the Conservatives’ Congress. The protesters included government workers, among them teachers and firefighters, but also private sector workers.

They brought banners and posters to the building that hosted the meeting of conservatives. There, protesters read statements against cuts in pensions, the reduction of jobs in public services and calls for policy change, with the express requirement for the government’s resignation. The TUC is preparing another day of strike for Nov. 30.