Elections are currently being held in many trade union organizations in Greece, such as the Labour Centres, which rally trade unions at the local level. Unlike other European countries, trade union organizations in Greece have a single form and trade unionists of all political hues participate in them, retaining the right to form separate lists in elections for the Executive Boards of the trade unions.

For example, last week, congresses and elections for the Executive Boards of the Labour Centres were held in the cities of Arta and Ioannina.

In Ioannina, the “Workers’ Rallying”, the list of the trade unionists rallied in the All-workers' Militant Front (PAME) and supported by the KKE, received 58 votes (60%), up from 55 at the previous Congress, and regained 8 seats out of 13. In Arta, for the first time in the history of the Labour Centre, the “Class Unity”, the list formed by the trade unionists of PAME and supported by the KKE, received 100% of the workers’ votes and gained all the seats on the Executive Board.

However, the elections in the Labour Centre of the city of Pyrgos came as a surprise. The PAME forces won 21% in the elections, gaining 2 of the 11 seats of the Executive Board. However, the remaining 9 seats were divided between the trade unionists of the right-wing New Democracy, the social democratic parties SYRIZA and PASOK, and the fascist Golden Dawn, who formed a joint list and a joint presidium of the new Executive Board of the Labour Centre of Pyrgos.

This fact coincided with the appeal trial for the murder of Pavlos Fyssas by the assault of  Golden Dawn shock troops. The participation of the allegedly leftist SYRIZA in a joint list with the fascists is alarming, particularly at a time when SYRIZA is supposedly defending “democracy” in the parliament from the actions of the right-wing ND government, accusing it of “deviating from the democratic constitution”.

During his speech in the parliament, N. Karathanasopoulos, parliamentary spokesperson of the KKE, referred to the above events and highlighted that those parties try to deceive the people. Addressing ND and SYRIZA, he underlined that they praise the “democracy of lobbyists”, they all voted for the relevant EU resolution, and, together with the fascist Golden Dawn, they collaborated in the Labour Centre of Pyrgos.

“With a view to the battle of the elections, the following dilemma arises: either the people and their movement led by a very strong KKE or a government pursuing an anti-popular policy will emerge stronger”, concluded N. Karathanasopoulos.

It should be noted that one of the first decisions of the new Executive Board of the Labour Centre of Pyrgos was to refuse to grant a hall to the KKE in order to organize a political event.

27.01.2023