New significant success for the class-oriented forces in Athens

On Sunday 15 February, the two-day elections for the executive of the Athens Labour Centre (EKA) were concluded, held as part of the 33^rd EKA Congress.

It should be noted that the EKA is the largest Labour Centre in the country, bringing together 416 first-level trade unions, representing approximately 300,000 employees working in the private sector across the wider Athens area.

As is well known, trade union leadership elections in Greece are conducted on the basis of separate slates, reflecting the different political and trade union orientations of their members.

Communist trade unionists, together with other militant unionists associated with and supportive of the efforts of the All Workers’ Militant Front (PAME), once again formed a slate, as they have done in recent years, under the name “Democratic Militant Cooperation” (DAS).

According to the election results, DAS came first, securing 33.24% of the vote (up from 31.39% in 2023) and 459 votes from representatives (up from 371 in 2023). This marked a significant increase in both percentage share and number of votes, and resulted in the election of 11 members to the new 31-member executive of EKA (up from nine in the previous term).

In second place was the PASKE slate (aligned with the social-democratic PASOK party), which received 218 votes (15.79%) and five seats. It was followed by the METOPO slate (aligned with the social-democratic SYRIZA party), with 192 votes (13.9%) and five seats, while the ENOTITA slate of the ruling ND party, received 170 votes (12.3%) and four seats. Two additional slates, also affiliated with PASOK and ND, but running separately, received 10.28% and 9.43% of the vote respectively, securing three seats each. Finally, four slates from various opportunist “left-wing” parties, failed to attract a significant number of votes and did not win representation in the new EKA executive.

This result in the country’s largest Labour Centre marks an important step forward for all workers, strengthening those engaged in the daily struggle for their livelihoods and dignity.

With DAS reinforced, the conditions are in place for stronger unions in the workplace, vibrant collective processes, and a sustained struggle against the government and business groups. It further strengthens an orientation against the policies of exploitation, poverty, and war, with the aim of mounting a counter-attack.

The outcome also represents a response to the line of social partnership — a line of submission and co-option— and the degeneration of government and employer-led unionism represented by ND–PASOK–SYRIZA forces, which have supported all anti-labour legislation, culminating in the shameful “social agreement” reform that undermines collective labour agreements.

Now is the time to bring workers’ real demands and interests to the forefront, to intensify the struggle for wage increases and reduced working hours, for collective labour agreements, and for effective health and safety measures.