WFDY expresses its solidarity and salutes the massive demonstrations organized by the Greek workers, people and youth, the class oriented trade unions and PAME (All Workers Militant Front) against the reactionary measures planned in common by the Greek government, EU and IMF. We condemn the organized murderous attack against the forces of the All-Workers’ Militant Front (PAME), that led to several serious injuries and to the death of a construction worker, trade unionist of PAME.

On the 19th and 20th of October the Greek government of PASOK brought to the Parliament another law aimed at demolishing ample sectors of social rights of the Greek people. Namely, among others, the abolishment of sectoral collective contracts, cutdowns in salaries and pensions, increase of the taxes and “extraordinary contribution” of the people in the name of the crisis.

Responding to this violent dilemma, the working class movement took to the streets organizing a 2-day strike on the 19th and 20th October. The unprecedented participation of hundreds of thousands workers, small bussinessmen and youth in the demonstrations shows the contempt that the Greek people has against the austerity measures imposed by the Greek government and its domestic and international accomplices, EU and IMF and the parties - supporters of them, shows the committment to reinforce their struggle against these barbaric policies.

Under this situation, mechanisms of the bourgeois system, hooded provocateur mechanisms, with the toleration of police, organized and implemented a planned murderous attack against the most vibrant and numerous part of the demonstration, against the blocks of PAME. The result of this attack of the anarcho - fascist groups was the death of the PAME trade unionist and construction worker, Dimitris Kotzaridis, 53, and the woundings of dozens of PAME demonstrators.

Despite the attempts to terrorize the demonstrators and disperse the thousands of participants, with the intervention of the class-oriented trade-unions, of PAME, of the members of KNE - Communist Youth of Greece and of the Communist Party of Greece, this attempt was thwarted.

We explicitly condemn the murderous attack on the demonstrators and especially on the forces of PAME, KNE and KKE, as well as the dangerous forces that orchestrated it. We express our condolences to the family of the deceased Dimitris Kotzaridis. We have faith that the struggle of the Greek people and youth will fortify, showing that the collective and organized class struggle is the only way for the people and the youth to claim their rights and overthrow these barbaric capitalist policies.

WFDY has received the news that the Greek parliament has decided to pass another austerity plan to take even further the process of privatizations, tax raises and rights withdrawing that the Greek people have been suffering for the last years.

Under the excuse of the national and international crisis, the Prime Minister Georgeou Papandreou and the Government of PASOK (Socialist Party of Greece) tried to blackmail the people, attempting to convince the workers and the youth that the refusal of this plan would lead to a situation “even worse” than the social catastrophe already lived today, because the international “assistance” would not be given to Greece.

Outside Greece, the international structures of the monopolies such as the International Monetary Fund and the European Union participated in this process of blackmail with the same arguments.

On this occasion, WFDY underlines that never the IMF and EU intervention in a country has brought prosperity. It only serves the interests of the capital forces both in national and international level, in cooperation with the bourgeois forces in each country by reducing the rights of the workers and youth, destroying the public services and deepening even more the already existing social problems. Furthermore, the money sent to Greece, not only will be paid with a high interest rate, as it is being distributed among the financial sector, to ensure that the bank owners and other big economic groups never face any problem.

Over the last 48 hours the Greek working class and youth have shown that they are willing to counterattack against these brutal policies. The general strike that involved millions of workers and the countless number of actions all throughout Greece are powerful sign of the peoples’ belief and strength and was only possible with the most valuable contribution of the class oriented trade unions rallied in PAME, WFDY member organization in Greece, KNE (Communist Youth of Greece) and its Party, KKE (Communist Party of Greece)

In this moment, even if the Government decided to ignore the express will of the people it should represent, WFDY sends a word of solidarity to the Greek workers and youth, encouraging them to continue struggling, since it is clearer than ever that only through the organized and militant struggle it is possible to resist and to win!

Over the last months, particularly the last weeks, a growing international awareness has been raised around the situation of the Greek economy, as if this country was “bankrupt” and could not survive without exterior intervention.
This campaign of international proportions, promoted by the EU together with the Greek Government, with wide coverage and highlight of the international imperialist media, aims to create the conditions to justify an even stronger attack to the Greek people and youth. If accomplished the goals established by the EU, it will only mean more privatizations of public sectors and less rights for the Greek people and youth. They hide that the big capital, which was supported with billions by state budgets, is responsible for the deficits and the debts in Greece and other European Countries.
Furthermore, WFDY considers that this manoeuver deepens even more the anti-democratic and anti-popular character of the EU, confirming that its construction, action and goals are against the peoples and against the youth of its member states towards the construction of a consolidated imperialist block.
The so called “EU solidarity” towards Greece is followed by terms which serve the interests of Greek capital and are against peoples’ rights. It is a help for the capitalist profit and not for the people. Once again it is proved that imperialism and its organizations and governments focus their trials in loading the crisis and its consequences to the people’s backs. The rescue of the banks and other big monopolies is the only thing they care about.
WFDY stands by the youth and people of Greece in their struggle against the ongoing measures taken against their rights such as freezing of salaries, wage and pension reduction, increase of retirement age etc. Together with the Greek youth and people, WFDY considers that the only way for overcoming the social and economic problems that exist is to struggle for a different way of development and to guarantee the rights of the people, orienting society and economy towards social justice and general welfare, against the dictatorship of monopolies and capitalist single purpose of profit.
WFDY calls upon all its member and friend organizations, particularly those in European Union member states, to denounce the situation in Greece relating it to its own country and by that reinforce their own struggle against imperialism!