5/4/2014 Communist Party of Greece - Red May 1st, Labour in the frontline

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/Red-May-1st-Labour-in-the-frontline/ 1/2
Red May 1st, Labour in the frontline
5/4/2014 Communist Party of Greece - Red May 1st, Labour in the frontline
http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/Red-May-1st-Labour-in-the-frontline/ 2/2
Thousands of demonstrators in Athens, Thessalonica, and in dozens of other Greek cities
participated in the strike rallies on May 1st organized by the All-workers Militant Front
(PAME).

PAME held its rally in Athens in the citys central square, Syntagma, outside the
Parliament.

In the central speech Giorgos Perros, member of the Executive Secretariat of PAME,
denounced the Turkish government, which attacked the May 1st rally of workers in
Istanbul.

G. Perros in his speech made reference to the 15 year anniversary of PAMEs
establishment. As he said Its establishment lent strength, combativeness, hope to the
life and activity of the trade union movement. It assisted in the formation of the class-oriented labour movement and to become a pole for rallying and
allying with all those who suffer from the yoke of the monopolies, the European Union and the parties that consider the EU and the capitalist
development path to be the only way. He added that it contributed to joint response and activity of all those who were negatively affected by the
anti-people political line in order to strengthen the social alliance of workers, poor self-employed and tradesmen, the small-medium farmers, the
youth, women.

Giorgos Perros clarifies that the measures that have been taken and have smashed wages and pensions, social-security, working time etc are aimed
at reinforcing the profits of the plutocracy in the phase of development after the crisis, for this reason they are not temporary. They are here to stay.

He revealed that this political line is not mistaken, but it is the only way for capitalism to overcome its crises. He made it clear that the path for the
return of capitalist development, competitiveness and the profitability of capital demands even greater sacrifices from the working class so that it can
be stabilized.

We must not allow the workers to be fooled by the fairytales if the government that the sacrifices have ended or those of the official opposition that
all that is needed for the wolves to turn into sheep is a change of government. He added that The path of the struggle to repel and overturn these
policies, which are determined by the EU and big capital, is the only way and demands a decisive, strong, capable movement. It is imperative to wage
this struggle and of course in the run up to the EU parliamentary elections these policies must be the criteria for the vote to condemn all the parties
that support the EU

Giorgos Perros called on the working class to realize that it can change the situation, that it has the strength and that it can rely on the forces of
PAME, PASEVE for the self-employed, PASY for the farmers, MAS for the students, OGE for our peoples women.

In reference to the elections on the 18th and 25th of May, he stressed that our interest is for the forces that support the organization of the working
class, its struggles, the effort to form the Peoples Alliance to emerge even stronger. And they will continue stand side by side all those who are
struggling. He warned that if this does not happen, and the workers are scattered left and right amongst the various traps that have been set up
for them, things will be worse. Tomorrow they will have to face these traps. The plutocracy will receive the breathing space it needs in order to
regroup and renew its political staff and will strengthen its offensive at the expense of our lives and prospects. It will increase disillusionment and
fatalism amongst sections of the workers.

Highlighting the way out, he mentioned amongst other things that today there are all the necessary material conditions for permanent stable work,
for reduced working time and the increase of free time, for exclusively public and free provisions in healthcare, education, popular housing, culture and
sports, even more free time, for salaries and pensions which will correspond to the extent of the peoples needs today. We can live in a world that
corresponds to our effort, our labour, our expectations. In a world that is not scourged by wars, unemployment, drugs, stress and insecurity.
Wherever we will live peacefully, humanely, without the exploitation of man by man, without oppression and the barbarity of the system we are living
in.

Statement of the GS of the CC of the KKE

A large delegation of the KKE, headed by the GS of the CC of the KKE, headed by the GS of the CC of the KKE, Dimitris Koutsoumpas.

In his statement he stressed the following: We address a message for the strengthening of the workers-peoples struggles, the regroupment of the
labour-peoples movement from the May 1st rally here in Syntagma. We address a call for the people to join forces with the KKE, to strengthen the
KKE, so that the people can become strong, in order for us to create the thing that the people and the country need today. A strong workers-
peoples opposition that will pave the way, with the peoples alliance, to finally smash the shackles of the EU, the monopolies, in order to open a new
path with the people truly in power.

Earlier, the GS of the CC of the KKE, Dimitris Koutsoumpas, at the head of the delegation of the party laid a wreath at the Shooting range in
Kaisariani, in honour of the 200 communists executed there on May 1st 1944 by the Nazis.