NationalReportfnl28A21.docx
From: TOE
To: IS
Date: January 28, 2021
National Report
We think it is important for the party to be against lockdown and not pick and choose measures. We had a discussion and K. and D. think that we must not support but also not oppose the ban of travel (in accordance to the motion from South Africa). J. is not convinced if should approach separately specific lockdown measures and thinks that further discussion is needed. The bourgeoisie has imposed lockdown transferring the burden to the working class, leftists, youth, Roma, immigrants and refugees. It’s workers that suffer from loss of work, loss of pay, instability, immiseration and death from other disease because of the demands from Covid. The petty bourgeoisie is also suffering. We hope that our report will help the discussion on how to approach these questions. Only with the dictatorship of the proletariat would a pandemic be rationally controlled.This is impossible under capitalism because their main interest is not the well-being of the population but the continuation of profits for the bourgeoise.
Since the beginning of the pandemic police are out in force stopping people, demanding papers and giving fines for unessential movement. In order to leave home if you work you need a paper from your employer with the time of your work schedule, if you do not work you need to either text the state or have a signed paper with you with reason you are on the streets; there are 6 reasons allowable (see our report: Covid and capitalist government.18April20). We are in opposition to this intrusion of everyday movement. No government monitoring of the population’s whereabouts!
Under the guise of law, order, and anti-virus mandates the Greek state reinforces the machinery of repression. Greece now has the third largest number of police of countries in the EU (per capita), after Cyprus and Malta. Police now respond to demonstrations during the lockdowns to an even greater degree of repression kettling them, meting out beatings, tear gas, water cannons, fines and arrests.
Unemployment in Greece is the highest of all EU member countries at 18.3 as of July 2020 by official count (seasonally adjusted, whatever that means) so it must be much higher. Public health under the pandemic has been hit even harder with 5,000 fewer employees compared to 2019 and 550 million less for healthcare in the 2021 budget.
An example of who makes money under crisis is the Greek shipowners who invested the last 12 months 9 billion euros in new and second-hand ships buying a total of 318 merchant ships. Greece remains the world's largest shipowner. Although the population represents only 0.16% of the world's population , Greek shipowners hold 20.67% of the world's capacity to transport goods with ships and 54.28% of the European Union's capacity.
Of course, there was no plan for public transportation to allow for social distancing, it remains packed with people during rush hours, likely spreading the virus. This disproportionately affects workers and immigrants who cannot afford to travel to work by car. [pas de revendications?]
In Athens, about 500 buses are idle because the government does not buy spare parts to fix them, as part of its plan to privatise the public transport system. Those labeled “essential” i.e., delivery workers and grocery store workers receive paltry salaries and no protective equipment and pay for them themselves.
The lockdown fines are a cash cow for the government: bringing in ½ million euros per day (according to the police). Not only targeting retail operations police have ticketed many people trying to give supplies to homeless people or people locked in refugee or Roma camps. A friend and public sector worker reports of daily harassment of immigrants and youth in the immigrant area of Omonia on her way to and from work. She has never been questioned. The industrial areas of Athens have been some of the hardest hit by the virus and by the government. The police also target immigrants and youth and have established checkpoints in poorer working class and immigrant neighborhoods. The lockdown measures are worse in those areas where there is a ban of movement from 6 p.m. - 5 a.m. only allowing people to move in order to go to work.
In the public sector half of the personnel is working from home, in many private companies’ numbers of employees are also working from home. This primarily concerns the petite bourgeoisie. This is new because of the pandemic but there is the danger of it becoming permanent for some workers. The question is not if someone would prefer to work from his/her home but what will be the outcome of having the workers so atomized and locked inside the “family house”. The Prime Minister stated recently that “ Teleworking that we were forced for public health reasons to impose on the state gives us the opportunity to think about how we can integrate it in a more organized way into the everyday life, the working life of the state, when we have left behind the pandemic.” At the same time research from the co-federation of the unions (GSEE) declares that “65% of the workers finds it negative that they have to work from home, 56% had reduction on the salary during the pandemic, 65% said that working from home means working more hours, 54% that it goes against their workers’ rights and 52% that it has negative consequences on their personal life.”
We had a discussion where D. and J. had different approach on the question. D. initially thought we should not have a position on the subject and was sympathetic to individuals preferring to work at home. On the other hand, J. believe that it can be harmful for the individual worker as well as for the working movement as a whole. Some of the reasons include: the isolation from society, the isolation from co-workers, being atomized, the difficulty of organizing and educating the workers without physical presence in the unions, in the meetings etc. Workers bare the cost of work from home (computers, printers, space in their house) and not to forget that the main burden is once again to the women - she has to be able to take care of the kids and do her work from home without getting out of the house. The only ones who will win from such a situation are the bosses because the cost will be on the workers and additional to that they will have even less expenses i.e., rent, bills etc. [Conclusion, revendications?]
Anti working-class laws
All the anti working-class measures are under the dictates of the EU and the blackmail preconditions for financial assistance. The bill—under which the organizers are also accountable for any “damage” caused by the protesters—was pushed through by the government, which includes, among other things, a 'licence to protest', the prohibition of public gatherings, the arrest of those who want to protest collectively. One of the laws says a demo can be declared illegal if it “disrupts the social-economic life of the area.” So, any demo can be declared illegal. Some of new laws they want to vote under the procedure of “emergency” due to Covid are: to increase government control over the unions, creating “files” with participants in the unions, meetings and reduce the ability of workers to strike. According to the government’s proposal “essential personnel” in the public sector can never shut down fully during a strike. They always need at least 40% of the work force. The law also applies to every sector that has to do with the public like ports, transportations and only half of the workers can strike each time.
The bill states that “ blocking of entrances or any other work place as well as the use of psychological or physical violence are prohibited. If they take place, the strike becomes illegal. Those who engage in occupation or violence are going to be accused of a criminal act ”. In other words, picket lines, the possibility of leafleting outside the workplace, or placards outside factory gates and workplaces can be characterized as obstruction or as an exercise of "psychological violence" making strikes illegal.
The law impedes strike votes. There will be no general assemblies in person, the workers will vote electronically if they are in favor of striking. A 50%+1 vote is needed to strike (this was initially proposed by SYRIZA government) and the database with who voted what will be available to management and the government. They change the 8 hour workday. “Companies will employ workers up to a maximum of 10 hours a day, without additional pay.” Its only obligation will be to "pay" the additional hours of work "within the same 6 months" with a corresponding reduction in hours or days off. Additional to that, they increase legal overtime and include more businesses in the list of those who can operate on Sundays with no extra hiring personnel, or additional salary. The government is promoting the privatization of pensions. It will be the markets and stock exchanges that determine whether and what pension you will receive.
Attacks on Education
The government is passing a law to change the education system. The most important issue for ND is to set up a campus police division answerable to the police chief and Ministry of Citizen Protection . This is the first time a campus police force is being made. It will be staffed with the recruitment of 1,000 new officers, who will patrol the five main universities armed with clubs. All universities will be equipped with surveillance equipment. Institution check-in and student entry card will be necessary, this will limit entrance to universities to students, academic staff, employees and controlled visitors. This serves to smash leftist, anarchist and youth resistance that has historically begun on university campuses. Not to mention it will make it difficult for us to do our work. Under the proposed changes, university entrance requirements will also be amended, and time limits will be set for the completion of degree courses. All the education measures are part of implementing the EU Bologna accord which we have written about. We call for: Police out of the Universities!
We are against the closing of all schools by the state. Universities have been shuttered for a year, yet police raided one of the main university dorms in Athens arresting five in December of last year. Aiming to evacuate dormitories where students who have no place to go have continued to live despite the order to vacate. Before the closing of schools due to Covid the secondary schools across Greece were occupied by students in protest of the attacks on education.
The Working Class
A national strike took place on November 26. The KKE called the strike in opposition to imposition of the 10-hour workday, against the uninsured and unpaid work. The KKE and all the left are opposed to work on Sunday. What they call the abolition of the Sunday holiday. Here most shops and stores are still closed on Sundays. Unlike the rest of the left we are not opposed to Sunday work which has its history also in the church (of course, with weekend shift premiums and transitional demands like 30 for 40). The strike was also in opposition to the privatization of pension funds and the confiscations, repossession and auctions of housing due to debt.
A delegation of trade unionists from the Labor Center of Piraeus, as well as seafarers and other unions in the area, staged a protest at the ministry of shipping. Various workplaces also engaged in independent strikes. Small strikes took place despite the lockdown measures; some people were able to march in Athens despite the police bringing in anti-riot vehicles the night before. While the main march took place in Athens without incident, police attacked and arrested participants in a motorcycle protest organized by a newly organized delivery workers union. In other cities such as Ioannina, police attacked and arrested people participating in the strike.
Courier and food delivery workers have been especially under the gun. A lot of their ranks are made up of recently unemployed middle-aged workers. A courier with 20 years in a company was beaten up and his nose broken by his boss for not finishing all his deliveries for the day . Under the table and uninsured work, intensification with 10 and 12 hours of work, 6-7 day work are the norms. Workers are burdened with their own motorbike repairs and it is labor "accidents" that cost up to their own lives.
KKE prepares a Popular Front
There are indications that KKE is preparing a Popular Front and we need to pay attention to this. In October of last year, the court ruled that Golden Dawn (fascist party) was a criminal organization and convicted its leadership to jail. That day a huge demonstration took place outside the court. It was the largest demo during Covid. All the left was present, as were bourgeoise parties i.e., PASOK and SYRIZA. Even the prime minister of the right-wing party of ND said: “Democracy won today.”
KKE participated in the same demo. Those who follow Greece know that for some decades now KKE does not demonstrate with the rest of the left. They typically organize their own separate demonstrations. It was interesting not only that they existed in the same space but especially that they had the same slogan: “The people demand fascists in prison”. The first part of the demand is the popular front, the second part is the faith in the capitalist state. The demo was a big liberal “party” for democracy and the slogans that they shared a first step towards a popular front!
A month later, for the November 17 th demo which was declared illegal due to Covid, KKE under its own initiative asked SYRIZA and MERA25 (Varoufakis’ insignificant party) to co-sign a petition addressed to the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister and the political parties of parliament.
It reads: “We condemn the authoritarian decision of the government to ban the celebration of the 17 th of November. The decision of the Chief of the Hellenic Police, which prohibits public gatherings of more than three people across the country and for four days, under the threat of strict fines, is reminiscent of other times. This is a deeply undemocratic and unconstitutional decision…”
The decision of the Chief of Police stated “Due to the urgent need to address a serious public health risk in the context of emergency measures to address the spread of Covid-19 … all public outdoor gatherings are prohibited throughout the country, in which 4 or more people participate, from 06:00 on November 15 until 21:00 on November 18, 2020.”
What is interesting is that this is the first statement that KKE has done together with SYRIZA. KKE wanted all the “progressive” parties to participate but PASOK refused. This is an example of the fight the right politics now in play.
Although it was under the initiative of KKE they present it differently from the rest. First, all newspapers published the statement on November 15th. KKE’s paper published it two days later. Second, all the bourgeoisie papers had a similar headline “common statement between KKE – SYRIZA and MERA25”. Rizospastis’ (KKE’s paper) article on the 17 th : “ Thousands of signatures gathered against the ban [of the demo]” and a subhead “condemnation of the governmental autarchism” was buried in the paper . In the article, they wrote with bold letters how all of KKE’s MPs signed and have a small mention that the KKE leader called SYRIZA and MERA25 leaders to co-sign. They write against PASOK how unacceptable it is that they denied signing the petition and that PASOK does not support “this initiative against the undemocratic decision of the government.” That is the only article in the KKE’s press that has any mention of the common statement.
SYRIZA has an article in its paper titled “ why the common statement is a turning point ” in which it says: “ the progressive opposition parties rallied on a very simple issue: the defense of the Constitution… These parties have put aside their political, ideological and strategic disagreements and have made a common struggle against the upcoming totalitarianism… The common text is a turning point for the political things in Greece. It shows the maturity of the parties that signed it, and also it shows their readiness to defend values. ” [that means democracy and constitution]
KKE on the other hand made a different assessment. According to a statement by the CC issued on January 2020, they write: “ In this decision we reacted immediately as a Party and took initiatives for mass condemnation by unions, associations, etc. At the same time, we have also taken the initiative to collect signatures to condemn this decision. This move was correct, facilitated our effort to make a mass condemnation of the government's decision and effectively go against the government's health care argument. This initiative to condemn the decision to ban rallies was carried out by people from across the political spectrum, as well as by a decision of the parties of SYRIZA ana MERA25 , while PASOK refused to participate.
It is certainly not the first or only time that on a particular issue there can be a common position of the Communist Party with other parties either in the Parliament, in local government bodies or in the movement.
The effort made and continues by forces of SYRIZA and opportunists with the related articles to give to this movement other dimensions is clear that it has nothing to do with reality. Any coincidence of KKE forces with other forces in the movement, in the unions, in the associations around objectives, demands, claims and mobilizations does not constitute any kind of "united front"…” In their conclusions they write: “ This attitude was linked to the moods of a radical section of the workers and it also put pressure on the political base of other forces, in particular SYRIZA, which was expressed and on the fact that it finally supported the text of signatures . ”
It is the first time since the split with SYRIZA (then Synaspismos) that KKE has said: “ on a particular issue there can be a common position of the Communist Party with other parties either in the Parliament, in local government bodies or in the movement. ” It is interesting that KKE asked of their own personal “nemesis” SYRIZA to support their petition. Of course, KKE always blurs the difference between united and popular front. When they write that SYRIZA and opportunist organizations try to give other dimensions to this movement, they mainly refer to ANTARSYA (coalition of left parties and ecologists) who in a statement they published they accuse KKE of not doing enough. ANTARSYA writes that KKE is having a democratic front. They complain that KKE does not provide a plan of actions, does not use the mobilization they achieved with the signatures to create a mass movement but only to support the developmental goals of KKE. No one from the left sees it as a popular front.
Banning of November 17 and other protests
On November 17 2020 the right to demonstrate was banned for the first time since after the fall of the military junta in 1974. The state banned all gatherings of more than four people, even for purpose of exercise until November 18. Police occupied the city center with 6,000 on the streets. They attacked demonstrations and imposed heavy fines on those arrested, fines totaling 23,000 euros at the Polytechnic alone. It is the first time in many years that the police have been able to attack the KKE’s mobilization. A KKE MP was beaten and arrested. Other arrests included the president of the Union of the Attica hospital, lawyers involved in the lawsuit in the Golden Dawn trial as well as members of various left groups. Smaller protests took place in many Athens neighborhoods. Similar attacks took place in different cities around the country.
A week later, on November 25, nine women were arrested for taking part in a protest to mark the Day of the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Wearing masks and keeping social distance measures, they briefly unfolded a banner outside of parliament before their arrest.
December 6th was the anniversary of the police murder of teenager Alexis Grigoropoulos 12 years ago. Protests were planned but Athens, Thessaloniki and Patras were flooded by cops. In Athens alone 374 protesters were apprehended and from those 153 were charged. Multiple people who went to the murder site to honor Alexis with a flower (a tradition in Greece) were beaten, sprayed with teargas, or suffered from flashbang grenades. The police besieged political organization offices.
Crack down on refugee camps
As Greece was slowly lifting strict COVID-19 restrictions during the first lockdown across the country, it has kept more than 120,000 asylum seekers in the lockdown, crammed in overcrowded camps. On the island of Chios, refugees at the camp of Vial are virtually held captive. None of the 4,000 or so asylum seekers or refugees can exit for a walk, or go to the town’s grocery store, and police are stationed on the surrounding roads. In tents and containers at camps across the country people must just sit and wait. Refugees spent summer under an ever-extending lockdown, as the Ministry of Migration or the camp managers announced every two weeks that the measures had been extended. This has impacted tens of thousands of refugees and are still in effect. Now with a cold front and snow refugees are packed in their squalid tents with a loss of electricity and frozen water. The new camp Kara Tepe replacing Moria camp has been in a virtual press lockout. No one knows what has happened to the refugees transferred there.
Church and state
While the government is using the pandemic to pass draconian laws faster, with less resistance and police are attacking every “defiance” and making illegal the gathering of 3 people and above, Mitsotakis makes appeals to the Church hierarchy. As a main, pro-ND paper Kathimerini wrote “ Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis urged the country's influential Orthodox Church on Tuesday to respect coronavirus restrictions during Epiphany celebrations on Jan. 6 after Synod leaders said they would defy the lockdown.” The result was that “ Greek Christian churches held Epiphany services, openly defying government coronavirus restrictions that banned public gatherings…Police stood outside a number of churches but said they would not interfere with services and would use "mild" measures to persuade people not to crowd inside. However, as crowds built up outside some churches, they toughened their tone, shouting through megaphones, telling people to stay away.”
The government chose once again to avoid any confrontation by giving in to the influential Orthodox Church, which plays a central role in Greek life. In an article titled “State—Church, war and peace” there is a history of the relationships between the different governments and the church since 1981 and how the decisions made by the governments (mainly PASOK) to change things in the church drove ministers as well as the government to fall (they fell from the grace of god!) for daring to propose some basic changes in the relationship between church and state.
The Left
No one is opposed to the lockdown. Their main demands are how to have a better and more humane capitalism and to put pressure to the bourgeoisie. They all have some basic demands like free masks and vaccinations for all, public hospitals with more doctors and safety measures in workplaces. But are absent of a revolutionary program and therefore the need to build a revolutionary party that will play the role of the vanguard for the proletarian to overthrow the capitalist system and fight for a socialist world. Their main demands are to reform capitalism. Here are examples of how some organizations approach the question: ANTARSYA (coalition of left parties and ecologists), which includes SEK (Cliffites) and NAR (a split from KKE youth in 1989).
ΑΝΤΑRSYA : “ The government on behalf of the capitalists wants to quarantine the working class and the youth. We will break this quarantine uniting the potential of the left, the labor and youth movement . Hospital movement that fights for mass recruitment, conscription of private health, free tests, measures and means of protection for all. We support every strike and mobilization, we are fighting for a general strike uprising against the proposed legislation in November.” “Without any measure to enhance safety in workplaces, hospitals, schools, public transportation and social structures, lockdown is pure mockery.” They even demand from the government: “Full compensation from the consequences of closing the stores”
SEK sees the intense repression and attacks on workers as the reason for their fantasy of the massive fightback that is occurring. “ The chronic fantasy of bosses and the right for the end of the demonstrations became law in the summer. However, the bill was falling apart when it was passed, with a giant rally uniting the entire left and dozens of trade unions. And that was just the beginning .” But that is not the case. The lockdown has served to atomize workers and students. And while there have been protests and strikes (the numbers severely diminished) for the most part they have been small and met with intense repression. SEK also calls for the vaccinations to be under the control of the health workers: “The only solution is to pass into the hands of those who know better than anyone the health needs of people, health workers.”
NAR: “ For the overturn of policies that create poverty and the dismantling of labor rights. ”
“The intensity and persistence of the second wave of the pandemic is due to the poor state of public health and epidemiological care systems, but also to the fact that in a number of countries the necessary adjustments were not made to the functioning of the capitalist economy and society to tackle the pandemic.”
KKE is in a similar context. They demand from the government the requisition of the private hospitals for the duration of the pandemic and their main demands are for hiring more doctors, nurses’ better salaries and so on. They try to pressure the state to do a better job and demand from the capitalist state to resolve the pandemic. The Secretary of KKE Koutsoubas said on an interview about the spread of the pandemic that “… cannot be solved with the so-called "individual" responsibility. This is where collective responsibility is needed, first of all public responsibility, state responsibility. The State must solve these through its institutions and mechanisms, which are also ministries, regions, municipalities and a number of structures, institutions, which had to be mobilized.” KKE offer assistance to the state on how to deal better with the situation something that will only bring more misery to the working class.
EU Vaccinations
EU supposedly has a deal for equal distribution of vaccines per capita to all member states. But according to an article in der Spiegel, Germany has also made a private deal with three companies receiving an additional 55 million vaccines. So much for “equal distribution.” The imperialist masters of Europe decide who gets the vaccinations and leave the poorer counties to fend for themselves.
Obey and Work
The lockdown is the answer of the bourgeoisie and shows the complete irrationality under capitalism. It is to create a docile and disciplined workforce that will shut up, stay at home unless going to work and have nothing to enjoy in life. This began here before Covid with the smashing of smoking in restaurants and bars finally (It took years to implement this). We’re in opposition to the ban on moving and night curfew. We had disagreements about the shutting of bars and restaurants that has driven thousands of people to lose their jobs. K. and D. were questioning if we should be in opposition on such a ban because of health reasons, in disagreement with J. that thought we should be against the ban. Finally, we came to an agreement against the ban but we definitely do need further discussion. The working people are not only in danger of losing their jobs and income but also they are under attack in every aspect of their lives e.g. their education, their everyday life, their pleasures, their socialization.
City squares where people congregate, have a coffee, and generally socialize are now regularly monitored and sometimes attacked by the cops. The government has blamed the spread of covid mainly on youth. Many young people hangout in the open-air car-park of Lykavitos hill and neighbourhood squares. Due to the lockdown these are the few places they can go to socialize and drink. For teenagers these are places to get away from their parents. In Kypseli, an immigrant neighborhood of Athens the cops, part of a disbanded motorcycle unit, tore through the main square with tear gas. 37 people were detained and 5 were arrested. 2,000 protestors filled the square the following night. Other squares are also occupied by the police including of course the one in the anarchist district Exarchia.
Capitalism cannot meet the healthcare demands of the population. It is useful in looking at how the young Soviet republic organized to eradicate disease. “The Commissariat of Public Health is engaged in the preparation of small travelling dispensaries for service among the rural population. These dispensaries are being prepared abroad for introduction into Russia as complete units of medical aid, fitted up with the most important medicines for fighting plague and social diseases.” https://www.marxists.org/archive/semashko/1923/06/health.htm
For battalions of trained personnel (utilizing the unemployed) to fight pandemics and other disease! Only a workers state with a rational planned economy can mobilize and combat the illnesses that prey particularly on the workers and oppressed of the world,
Cg’s
J. and D.