The assault of the employers and the SYRIZA-ANEL government against the striking workers, who are fighting against dismissals and wage reductions at the waste recycling factory (“General Waste”) in Giannena escalated on 11/11, the eve of the general strike, with guilty verdicts in the courts, teargas and 8 arrests.

The court, after the recourse to it by the employers, decided that the strike mobilizations of the workers in the factory are illegal. However, the strike continued with the legal support of the Giannena Labour Centre (the association of local trade unions in the city), at the proposal of PAME’s forces.

Early in the morning of the 11th of December, the riot police used teargas, with the aim of dispersing the pickets and facilitating the employers attempts to install a strike-breaking apparatus. The attempts to intimidate included 8 arrests, a worker from the company and 7 trade unionists, representatives of trade unions and organizations who were present to support the struggle of the strikers.

The trade unions and workers responded immediately with a demonstration outside the Giannena Police Department, demanding their release. For the same reason, Thanassis Pafilis, member of the CC and parliamentary representative of the KKE, made an intervention to the Deputy Minister of Citizen Protection, Nikos Toskas.

PAME denounced the attempt to intimidate the strikers at “General Waste” in Giannena. In its statement it noted that: “Riot police used teargas against the strikers and acted once again as the henchmen of the employers who send the workers to unemployment and those they keep are kept on starvation-wages.

The Government of SYRIZA_ANEL bears enormous responsibilities for this escalation of intimidation tactics, as it is the Government that ordered the riot police to attack the workers who are fighting for their rights. The Government of SYRIZA acts as the henchman for those who dismiss workers and cut their wages.”

PAME demands: the immediate release of the arrested strikers, the withdrawal of the riot police, the satisfaction of all the demands of the strikers.

Dozens of sectoral and company level trade unions have denounced the attack of the forces of repression against the strikers of “General Waste”.

13.11.2015