APPEAL
FOR AN
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF SOLIDARITY
WITH
THE 595 CLEANERS
OF THE GREEK MINISTRY OF ECONOMICS
We, the 595 cleaners of the
Economics Ministry, who had our jobs taken away from us on the 17th
of September 2013, so that they can be given to private sub-contractors, have
been fighting the last 11 months against the politics of austerity and
against those who are imposing it, ie
the Samaras government and the TROICA. Every day we are on the street demanding
our jobs and our rights, resisting police intimidation and government
propaganda. Although we have been vindicated by the Greek judiciary system ,the
government is refusing to implement the courts’ decision.
We are appealing to all
residents associations, social movements, trade unions, women’s organisations,
political parties and citizens of the world, all of you who don’t condone
injustice and empathise with its victims, to express your solidarity with our
struggle for survival and dignity, which is also your struggle.
We are calling on you to join
forces with us and to organise together
An International Day of Solidarity
It is proposed that mobilisation takes place
between the 15th and 22nd of September, ie the week
before the court’s final decision on the 595 cleaners, which is set for the 23rd
of September. A possible joint Day of Action could be the 20th of
September.
The target could be various solidarity
activities, like public meetings and mass rallies, mobilisations outside Greek
Embassies, the IMF offices in Washington, the Central European Bank
headquarters in Frankfurt and anywhere else you choose. We are already
preparing for a delegation of the fighting cleaners to join a demonstration at
the European Parliament in Strasbourg, either on the 16th or the 17th
of September.
If you are willing to join this initiative, please let us
know by the 30th of August, so that we can have a picture of which
cities and countries are going to participate.
Please also look at:
Τηλ: 0030 210 9420681, 0030
6932295118
DON'T
EXPECT FROM US TO BOW!
We are 595 women cleaners
of the Greek Ministry of Finance and since September 17, 2013, we have been
unemployed. The Government laid us off and chose to give our jobs to
sub-contractors, with absolutely no financial benefit to the state. Our wages
ranged from 300 to 650 euro a month. We are not numbers, we are human beings!
We haven’t bowed our heads in submission.
Since September 17th, we have been in the streets every day,
claiming back our jobs, claiming back our lives. [photo protests]
The Government has employed every means
available to try to suppress our just fight. Pictures of defenseless 50 or
60-year-old women beaten up by riot police have spread around the world. Many
of us were taken to hospital after barbaric and unjustifiable police attacks
against us.
We have opted for dignity. Ten months of
struggle, ten months of poverty and problems! But we continue to fight. We
continue our struggle. We demand the self-evident: our right to a decent life.
A wave of support is sweeping across the
country. Workers, laid off workers, unemployed people, students, pensioners,
and artists are all showing their support in every way imaginable.
The Greek courts have vindicated us, but the
Government refuses to comply with the courts’ decision. Instead, the government
wants revenge because we have opted for dignity.
SOLIDARITY IS THE PEOPLES’ WEAPON. We call on
you to express your solidarity with our struggle for life and dignity. We call
on you to sign the support petition and help collect signatures, which will
force the Government to execute the court decision – something that will cost
nothing to the Greek state.
TOGETHER WE CAN STOP THESE BARBARIC
POLICIES.
