riot/terror-police try to break athens metro strike

[Sasha]

Riot police and anti-terrorist unit storm the metro depot in Athens Friday, January 25, 2013 At approximately 03.40 am, riot police (MAT) and police’s special anti-terrorist task force (EKAM) stormed the central metro depot in Sepolia, W. Athens, in their attempt to break the transport strike. At least 100 workers were inside the depot at the time of the operation and at least three were detained.

A solidarity gathering has been called at the metro depot for 1pm today.

X

[Sasha]

pretty posters

Greek government orders the civil conscription of the striking metro workers in Athens; workers in all transportation mediums join strike in solidarity

Thursday, January 24, 2013
In the afternoon of January 24, the Greek government via the ministry of transport ordered the civil conscription (i.e. the forced return to work) of the workers at the Athens Metro, who had been on strike for the past eight days. In response, the workers in all other mass transportation mediums in the city (buses, metro green line and tram) have also joined or extended their strikes. The workers at the Athens metro are calling all those in solidarity to gather at the main metro depot in Sepolia (by Kifissos Ave).
Solidarity to the struggle of the Mass Transportation workers - everyone to the streets!

Their struggle is yours, too. Strike: Everyone to the streets!

[piet11111]

I hope the striking workers will hold firm because even with the police cracking down on them the metro still wont be moving until they start to operate it.

[Dennis the 'Bloody Peasant']

Saw some pics on the BBC News site, article says a big rally was starting shortly.

Hope they hold out as long as possible and give the GD-loving cops a few black eyes.

Government and 'opposition' response was typical -

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras:
"The Greek people have made huge sacrifices and I cannot allow any exceptions," he said.
Referring to the metro strike, he warned: "Everyone should understand we will not repeat the mistakes of the past."
His junior coalition partner, the Democratic Left, criticised the use of the civil mobilisation order as "an extreme choice" and urged more dialogue. But party sources quoted by the Kathimerini newspaper said the issue would not split the three-party coalition.
Socialist Pasok leader Evangelos Venizelos backed Mr Samaras's decision, calling the strike "unacceptable".

[Philosophos]

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras:
"The Greek people have made huge sacrifices and I cannot allow any exceptions," he said.
Referring to the metro strike, he warned: "Everyone should understand we will not repeat the mistakes of the past."

I'm quite sure he won't repeat the mistakes of the past. He's going to make some new... He's very creative I can't doupt that.

[Sasha]

Court in Athens deems strike in buses and trolleys “illegal”

Sunday, January 27, 2013
A court in Athens ruled on the strike in the city’s buses and trolleys today, which had been called in solidarity with the strike of the metro workers – and against the government-inflicted repression against it. Meanwhile, workers at the country’s national rail (OSE) and the suburban railway (Proastiakos) will stay on strike until January 28th at least.

...

[Thelonious]

I heard on a radio program that the Greek government decreed that all transit workers were now to be part of the military, so that way the government could legally order them back to work. I could not find out anything else about this. Is this true?

[Sasha]

Kind of, they are placed under what is called "civil conscription"; http://blog.occupiedlondon.org/2010/...-conscription/
So not military but close.

[Thelonious]

Kind of, they are placed under what is called "civil conscription"; http://blog.occupiedlondon.org/2010/...-conscription/
So not military but close.

Were they always under this "conscription" or did the government just recently classify them as such so they could break the strike?

[Sasha]

It's s strike breaking tool..

[Thirsty Crow]

I heard on a radio program that the Greek government decreed that all transit workers were now to be part of the military, so that way the government could legally order them back to work. I could not find out anything else about this. Is this true?

Yes, this is true.
I think the most accurate analogy would be that of the American National Guard.

This is an interesting situation. As you can see, the state cannot rely on mass repression and jailing due to the huge number of workers on strike. This shows the economic lever, the power workers can wield due to us being crucial for the process of both social reproduction (transit system is a great example) and value production (it again works as an example). Though, I'd bet that if the militancy is to continue, so called "ringleaders" would be thrown to jail no doubt.

[Thirsty Crow]

The attempt to break the strike succeeded:

http://libcom.org/blog/athens-metro-...-work-29012013

On day eight of the strike the government, panicking that shoppers wouldn't be able to reach shop sales, issued a civil mobilisation order.Under civil mobilisation a striking worker receives orders to return to work on threat of dismissal or arrest. Immediately unions representing all forms of public transport in Athens called a 24 hour strike in solidarity. However, early on Friday morning riot police units broke into and removed metro workers from the Sepolia depot, and with the civil mobilisation hanging over them the metro workers started going back to work.

Strike actions by other transport unions were called off on Monday as a court decision went against them. For the moment the strikes appear to be over though the dispute is not.