The Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (ADEDY), where the trade union list supported by the KKE recently emerged as the leading force, had called a nationwide strike, while several Labour Centres had also called strikes in areas where poor farmers, fighting for their survival against monopolies and the anti-popular Common Agricultural Policy of the EU, have mobilized. In various regions, farmers also participated in the workers’ mobilizations.
“High prices and taxes, wages are not enough, the budget is a noose around the people’s necks,” shouted thousands of workers, self-employed, young people, women, and pensioners outside the Greek parliament.
Trade union representatives denounced that the new state budget would lead to increased taxation and a further drain on people’s incomes, while emphasizing that it is a war budget, because it is fully in line with the logic of a war economy and the intensification of imperialist competition.
Slogans such as “Give money for health and education, not for NATO’s slaughterhouses” were shouted loudly at the rally. At the same time, protesters also expressed solidarity with and support for the toiling farmers and livestock breeders.
The rally of the trade unions in Athens was attended by the GS of the CC of the KKE, Dimitris Koutsoumbas, who forcefully condemned the anti-popular budget in his speech to parliament.
