Taking into account that
Greece and its working people for five years face a deepening economic, social and political crisis resulting from consecutive rounds of austerity and labour market deregulation which entrapped the country in a vicious circle of recession and unprecedented unemployment against deepening poverty and inequality.
Since 2010, the brutal economic adjustment programme imposed by the IMF/ EC/ECB/ troika, without proper democratic legitimacy and accountability at both national and EU level, and implemented by successive governments instead of delivering solutions has worsened every economic and social indicator and failed on its professed objectives manifestly pushing the country’s debt beyond any level sustainability, contrary to all forecasts made by the troika.
The ongoing implementation of the third memorandum recently concluded by Greece’s creditor troika and the Greek government renews the nightmare troika scenario and augments the onslaught imposing on top of the existing measures a fresh round of stringent austerity with new pension and wage cuts, tax hikes lay-offs, large scale privatisation in the public sector, cutbacks in welfare and new attacks on social and labour rights.
The ETUC
Expresses its full solidarity to Greek workers in their continuing struggle against policies, which instead promoting recovery have violently impoverished Greek workers and pensioners, condemned Greece’s youth to unemployment and migration, destroyed the country’s productive infrastructure and social fabric fuelling racist and xenophobic neo-Nazi currents in society.
Demands to stop state’s intervention in free collective bargaining, in abolishing of collective agreements and the dissolution of social dialogue, which renders social partnership redundant setting an unacceptable precedent for the EU. It strongly asks the EU and the national government to do whatever is necessary to guarantee free collective bargaining and the autonomy of social partners and support social dialogue in true respect of the EU treaties and national laws. We condemn any kind of unilateral government interference in trade union autonomy, the intimidation of trade unions and demand the restitution of due trade union representation in social dialogue structures.
Joins Greek colleagues in demanding socially acceptable and viable solutions that consider trade unions part of the solution and not the problem: a different policy mix to support investment, deliver sustainable growth and employment, safeguard incomes, provide fair and effective taxation, upgrade the State’s regulatory role and sustain social cohesion and the environment.
Commits, along with its affiliated trade unions, to press national Governments and the European institutions to reverse the economic and socially destructive requirements of the Memorandum, especially fiscal restrictions, privatizations and interference in collective bargaining. We call for a debt restructuring to ensure sustainable growth.