Greek General strike paralyzes the country: politicians attacked

Is getting harder for the agents of capital these days to go out

Left: Kostis Hatzidakis, former conservative Greek minister is attackd by workers and youth angry at the austerity measures carried out on the Greek population ion behalf of international capital.

There was a second 24-hour general strike this week in Greece Wednesday where protestors clashed with the police. Workers and youth were demonstrating against the austerity measures implemented by the socialist government on behalf of international capitalism.

It is not only the royal twits in Britain that are finding that they can’t move so easily among the masses without retribution these days. In Wednesday's strike, former Greek minister, Kostis Hatzidakis was attacked with sticks and stones. The “off with their heads” shouts that the royals in Britain had the pleasure of hearing after a 200 year absence were replaced in Greece by shouts of “Thieves! Shame on you.” as protestors attacked Hatzidakis giving him a bloody nose.

The strike was the seventh general strike this year and was organized by the Unions in response to the anger in Greek society at the severity of the cuts and the fact that the cost of a crisis caused by bankers and speculators is falling on the shoulders of the working class and youth.

Much off Greek society was affected including schools, public transport and even taxi drivers walked off the job. All air, rail and ferry services were canceled and hospitals were operating with “skeleton crews.” The mass media was disrupted as journalists joined the 24-hour stoppage.

"We need to send the government a message that we will not accept measures that lead us only to poverty and unemployment," Ilias Iliopoulos, general secretary at the civil servants' union ADEDY told the media. He went on to say "After the vote late last night on the worst labor relations ever in Greece, we are warning of more action after the holidays. We will not yield, we will prevail."

The problem is that the Union leaders throughout the world in these situations are being forced to act given the pressure from below and the anger that exists in society in general. But a general strike places the issue of state power and who controls society on the agenda; it cannot go on indefinitely without either challenging for state power or retreating. Some reforms may be possible but it is unlikely during a period of extreme crisis for global capitalism. There may be some level of retreat on the part of global capital but very minor and temporary as always. But the Union and workers' leaders objective is to let off steam; it is aimed at holding back the potential power of the working class and any serious threat to the rule of capital.

Workers also protested in other countries yesterday, including Spain and Belgium, before the meeting of EU leaders in Brussels today and tomorrow.

It is impossible to not see that there are cracks opening up in the class struggle throughout the world. One indication of the limited and restrictive role of the worlds’ leaders is that there have not been calls for united and coordinated all-European actions and strike. A united capitalist Europe is one thing but a united working class Europe is a terrifying thought for them. But movements have a life of their own; it is not ruled out that we might see some increased efforts at national coordination of Europe wide struggles as the movement progresses.

This would be a welcome development.