Greece: WFTU in solidarity with the 35 trade unionists of PAME who will be on trial on 20 February 2018

The World federation of Trade Unions, representing 92 million members in 126 countries all over the world, expresses its internationalist solidarity to the 35 trade unionists of PAME, member of WFTU, who will be again on trial on February 20, 2018, because they defended the workers’ rights against anti-labor measures announced by the Greek government along with the troika of the IMF, the EU and the Central European Bank, by organizing a sit-in at the Ministry of Labor on 30th of January 2013.

The 35 PAME cadres, who are Presidents, Leaders of National Federations and Regional Trade Union Centers, members of trade unions of various sectors, had already been on a first trial during the government of the anti-labor ND, and they had been acquitted while all accusations against them had been rejected.

Now the coalition government of SYRIZA and of the far-right party ANEL takes the PAME leaders to court once again.

The SYRIZA government, along with ANEL and ND, after the law which limits the right to strike , continues the attacks against the trade union organization and the struggles of the workers. They proceed to new anti-labor measures like the auctions of the workers’ houses, new taxes and cuts in wages and pensions, aiming at the profitability of the Greek industrialists and ship-owners.

The WFTU stands by the side of PAME and demands from the Greek government to definitively stop the prosecution of the 35 trade union leaders, among whom our colleague George Perros, Vice-president of the WFTU and head of PAME. The WFTU will continue supporting the struggles of the workers of Greece against the anti-labor policies of the European Union, the IMF and of all the governments up to now.

THE SECRETARIAT