General solidarity strike in Attica district on January 17
The regional trade union centers in Attica district (to which the city of Athens belongs) declared, or rather were forced, due to pressure from bellow, to declare a general strike in Attica district on the 17th of January in solidarity with the 400 workers employed at the plant of the Greek Steel Industry in Aspropyrgos, who are on a wildcat indefinite strike since the 1st of November (i.e. for 75 days, now). The steelworkers’ strike began when the management of the company tried to impose a reduction both in working hours and in salaries. The workers employed in Aspropyrgos plant refused to accept the new working conditions, and the bosses retaliated against them by making layoffs (so far 65 workers have been laid off). It is worth mentioning here that the Greek Steel Industry runs yet another steel plant in the city of Volos. In the early autumn of the 2011, the workers employed at the plant in Volos conceded to the reductions in working hours and pay.
The task to prepare and to carry out the solidarity strike on the 17th of January has been largely shouldered by the members of PAME (All Workers Militant Front), a workers’ organization founded and controlled by the Greek Communist Party), and by grassroots militants, affiliated with anticapitalist-left organizations and autonomous/anti-authoritarian collectivites, who participate actively in rank-and-file unions. Activists of the revolutionary left, as well as many autonomous/anarchist groups, have also organized a nation-wide campaign of solidarity. In many cities of Greece, and many neighbourhoods of Athens, public meetings to spread everywhere the word, massive distributions of flyers and posters, fundraising parties, and various other direct actions of solidarity take place on an almost daily basis.
V. K.
Those who may wish to support the strikers can use the following bank account to do so:
NATIONAL BANK OF GREECE
IBAN: GR 40 0110 2000 0000 2006 2330 152
BIC or Swift Code : ETHNGRAA ( Bank Identifier Code )
Account holder: Dimitris Liakos (member of the workers’ union committee)
The following pieces of information in English are presented in chronological order.
Call of the General Assembly of the steelworkers of the “Helliniki Halivourgia” Industry
[16/11/2011]
http://www.pamehellas.gr/fullstory.php?lang=2&wid=2069
RESOLUTION
Call of the General Assembly of the steelworker
Of the “Helliniki Halivourgia” Industry
Colleagues, hear the voice of the steelworkers!
We, the 400 workers of the “GREEK STEELWORKS” (Helliniki Halivourgia) industry, are on strike, like a fist, for the 16th day. And we continue! We do not move back, we have chosen the path of honor and dignity, to defend the bread and the future of our children.
We do not return to work, in fire and iron, for 500€. We demand, our 34 colleagues, who were laidoff, to return to work. Our struggle concerns the whole working class.
The employer of “GREEK STEELWORKS” is the battering ram of the industrialists.
The “GREEK STEELWORKS” is the first industry that attempts to impose 5hour working day with wage cuts, flexible employment relationships, unpaid overtime and to remove security rights by blackmailing us with losing our jobs.
The layoffs were made to terrorize us, because on our General Assembly we unanimously rejected the employers demand to work part-time, 5 hours a day, with a 40% wage cut. At the same time our hard work, increased the production last year from 196,000 to 266,000 tonnes, hard work with daily labor accidents and a dead worker.
The employer’s profits are immense, and he continues to blackmail that if we do not accept his demands to work as slaves, he will lay off 180 more workers.
The steelworkers gave him the right answer. We overcame fear, blackmails, the threat of hunger. We went on strike!
We are standing up. We are already victorious. No one can bend us!
The industrialists, in the factories around, were waiting for us to have got tired, to have returned to work with our heads bowed, to have signed working for 5hours a day. The employer admitted that he did not expect such a struggle! We have proven that workers have endless power. For 16 days, 24hours a day, we guard our strike. They felt our power and we have been taught a lot more. We can distinguish friends from enemies.
We rely on the power of solidarity. Dozens trade unions supports from day one. PAME stands on our side. Support steelworkers struggle in every way.
For the steelworker there in no way back!
If we lose, the door opens for 5hour working day and labor jungle to the other factories, which is what the industrialists await. The steelworkers’ victory will be a victory of the whole working class. That is why we want you on our side.
Thus far! Terror, blackmails and the attack against workers shall not pass!
Support the strikers steelworkers in all ways possible: resolutions, announcements, press releases by trade unions, neighborhoods, youth and women organizations, everywhere, outside the Factory’s gate, financial aid and gathering food for the strikers’ families.
We denounce to all workers, the leadership of the Federations of Workers in Metal Sector, and of the Regional Trade Union of Elefsina, which during those 16 days, not only they did not call a single meeting, in order to organize a solidarity campaign, but they “advise” us to bow our heads, they slander us, they try to divide us. We call workers to bypass them and to organize in every workplace.
Victory will be hard, but it will be ours!
STEELWORKERS DO NOT BOW THEIR HEADS
ALONGSIDE THE PEOPLE-RESISTANCE AND STRUGGLE
The general assembly of the workers of the “Helliniki Halivourgia”
At Aspropyrgos, 15th November 15, 2011
Solidarity with the struggle of the striking workers of Steelworks – Let’s Go for indefinite wildcat strikes
[ 09/12/2011]
From Athens Indymedia
‘We are standing, we are already winners. The industrialist Manesis confessed that he did not expect such a struggle! The rest of the industrialists from the surrounding factories were expecting us to get tired, to return back to work with bowed head, they thought that we would agree with 5-hour working slots per day. We proved that the workers have unstoppable power. All these days, 24 hours per day we are guarding our strike. They felt our strength, and we learned more. We learn how to distinguish friends from enemies. The victory will be difficult but it is ours.’
The general assembly of workers in the GREEK STEELWORKS
Greek Steelworks of the industrialist Manesis is one of the 3 industries (Halyvourgiki – Sidenor – Greek Steelworks), which controls 100% of iron production in Greece. Only the last 2 years has increased production from 196,000 to 266,000 tons of iron, and its turnover in 2010 was 227 million euros.
The workers of the steel-works over the years worked in the furnace making their living, having work accidents daily, a dead colleague last year, getting wages of hunger and with terrorism exercised by the bosses, while the capitalist Manesis was acquiring enormous profits. Manesis being faithful to his class and its political crutches, in the name of economic hardship he pioneers in the effort to bring labour middle ages in Attica. Job rotation, shift from 8-hour working slots to 5-hour ones, 40% reduction in wages, unpaid overtime, intensification, withdrawal of workers insurance. The steel workers responded to the boss’ attack, who is trying to ensure his profits, and they refused to become slaves.
On October 31, 34 workers were made redundant and the bosses threatened to do the same with 180 more. The workers assembly unanimously decided that the workers will strike until the reinstatement of all, with no retreat. The furnace froze, the machines were turned off and guarded by the factory workers themselves.
A major labour struggle began, which if lost, would be a defeat for the whole working class and will open the appetite of the local and foreign bosses for greater exploitation. On the other hand, if won, will be a large mound to stand up against anti-workers attack by the state, local and foreign capital which aim to impose their memorandum and the social system of plunder. The state pretends to be deaf and “recommends” through the Labour Inspection our submission. The mass media faithfully play their role silencing the voice of the steel workers. The wave of solidarity is getting bigger and the boss after one month of strike, hits back making 16 more redundancies, blackmailing and threatening for worse things that are coming. The workers are adamant and they escalate their struggle. They do not bend, but they revolt, organise themselves and continue with their struggle showing the light to the working class.
Practical solidarity by all of us is one of our weapons for victory.
Let’s spread the voice in every workplace, in every school in every neighbourhood.
Let’s learn from this struggle and let’s struggle to find ourselves next to each other for the coming battle.
(From the text of the People’s Assembly of Peristeri)
Aspropyrgos, Attica: The ‘Greek Steelworks’ strike continues —closely flirted by authoritarian political forces
[13/12/2011]
On Tuesday, December 13th, workers call for 24hour strike in the entire Thriassio Field (the biggest industrial area in Greece, located in western Attica, 25 kilometres northwest of Athens), in solidarity with the steelworkers’ struggle.
On Saturday, December 10th, a number of solidarity groups spent the day outside the factory gates of the Greek Steelworks (Helliniki Halivourgia) with the 400 strikers [1] in a sign of solidarity with their struggle. The collective kitchen ‘EL CHEf’ of the Immigrant Hangout (Steki Metanaston, Exarchia) prepared food for the strikers and supporters while others performed a concert of rebetiko.
Saturday was the 42nd day of strike action by the workers of the factory. The strikers are calling for the cancellation of the plans to cut their working days from 8 to 5 hours, and the reinstatement of the dozens of fellow workers sacked so far (as mass layoff of 50 workers has already been announced). On a related video [2], one of the strikers explains that during the 30 years he’s been working for the Greek Steelworks in Aspropyrgos, there were 7 mortal injuries in his workplace, while throughout these years tens of other workers have been seriously injured (suffering severe burns, amputations, and so on) inside the steel mill of this hell factory.
Lines of communication between union reps and factory bosses remain open, but neither side is budging. The owner Manesis is threatening further redundancies if the strike continues. All strikers remain together and resolute in continuing the strike until their demands are met.
The strikers have received welcome and considerable support — in visits, financial donations and donations of food — from many different groups and individuals. In the face of this overwhelming support from many sectors of society, the strikers feel a responsibility to continue the strike on behalf of all who support them. The eyes of many across the country are on them, and the outcome of this struggle will be a test case for workers and capitalist bosses across the country. However, lack of support from within the industry has put pressure on their cause. The ‘sister’ factory in Volos is due to accept the work reduction plan, and union reps from that factory have failed to respond to calls from the men in the Steelworks.
When some of the strikers were asked whether, beyond returning to work under better conditions, they had any plans to appropriate the factory, they said they did not have any intention of this. Others felt it was totally impossible, here, to repeat what happened in Argentina; that the big industrialist owner of the factory makes part of a monopoly that includes not only production, but also the other main industries connected to the Steelworks (such as logistics and construction).
Whether we agree with this view or not, what remains challenging is keeping the strike in the hands of the workers themselves. The aims of their struggle are simple and specific to the factory. But they also feel the connection between their struggle and that of all local and migrant workers in Greece, against bosses, at a time when the economic crisis is used blatantly as a weapon against our lives. This connection — between the specific and wider struggle — has made it difficult to keep the strike ‘the possession’ of the workers themselves.
Although the workers make decisions among themselves through regular assemblies of all at the factory, several political groups have vied to stamp their political message on the strike and make it the banner of their sold-out political ideologies. This was evident during Saturday’s solidarity actions when a coach of delegates of the PAME (‘All Workers Militant Front’) arrived at the factory; shouting their slogans and waving their flags, one worker commented ‘we [strikers] started out as workers, but now the political parties have come’…
It must be clear that authoritarian forces such as the PAME and the KKE itself (‘Communist’ Party of Greece) have been strangling the strike from the very beginning, since there are many Stalinists among the strikers themselves too. An indicative text was circulated, quoting the words of Maria Deli who is described as a woman speaking on behalf of ‘the spouses of the Halivourgia’s workers,’ stating that they have been supported by the PAME since the beginning of their struggle. Her emotional speech appears also on Indymedia Athens [3], but it was first published on the KKE’s main slandering daily Rizospastis, with the title: ‘November 25th, 2011: Speech given in yesterday’s gathering at Elefsina by Maria Deli, woman of a steelworker striker’. A small excerpt goes: ‘>From the first moment, PAME and class unions are with us, the KKE is with us. From the first moment, this struggle was based on resolutions and decisions of trade unions, associations, federations, societies of women and youth, people’s committees, committees of unemployed, students, etc. From the first moment, a river of solidarity was expressed with the steel industry workers and their families; a river of solidarity that evolves slowly into a torrent and brings financial aid and food for our families. We bow to the greatness of the solidarity among the working class and our people. We bow to the international solidarity of all workers.’
Solidarity is not a word, it is how we live
[14/12/2011]
http://disorderisti.blogspot.com/2011/12/solidarity-is-not-word-it-is-how-we.html
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
On the 17thh of October, our boss was clear : 5 hours a day and 40% salary reduction. Two days later, after a general assembly of 280 attendees the workers’ response was “If you proceed, we will go on strike”. On the 31st of October and only 5 minutes before 3 in the afternoon, te first dismissal was delivered to a workers’ house; followed by another 18 in the same evening. Within one hour of the first dismissal, the workers had closed down the factory, went on strike and after 26 days, they were heard around the world.
“GreeK Steelworks SA”Steelworks SA”
It is noteworthy that the only elements that the workers have is their own work: increasing production from 196,000 tons last year to 266,000 tons this year.
On the 14th of November, the owner of the “Greek Steelworks” Mr. Manesis admitted to the chairman of the workers that he didn’t expect so much fighting spirit and determination from them. He (the chairman) replied that not all unions are the same. “Over here Mr. Manesis” he said, “there’s fire and iron”..
While they were on the 32nd day of strike, another 16 dismissals were delivered, showing that the industrialists are still not considering their struggle.
The strikers found support from unions, federations and associations of workers from Germany, Russia, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Pakistan, Malaysia, and the wave of solidarity is complemented by the local community, from institutions but also by ordinary people who support them morally and materially, with food, supplies, money and unwavering love.
“Victory to all workers”
“For the steelworker there is no way back! We are hard working men in the worst conditions nowadays. Men that have lost 7 co-workers the past 30 years, whilst the rest of us are fighting with the threat of cancer and other dieseases. We shall not become slaves in the hands of the industrialists! If we lose, we sign the begining of the defeat for the working class. We want and we need you by our side. Together they can not bend us.”
Yet the industrialists are waiting for them to get tired, to return to work with their heads bowed. The owner has blackmailed and terrosrised them with another 180 layoffs.
“Victory to the steel workers!
“Keep going!We will win!
Strike! We will go on strike!
Solidarity to the steel workers!”
Our response is solidarity.”
The workers’ message is final : “It is either us, or them. We can distinguish friends from enemies.”
Support the strikers steelworkers in all ways possible : resolutions, announcements, press releases by trade unions, neighborhoods, youth and women organizations, everywhere, outside the Factorys gate, financial aid and gathering food for the strikers families.
You have chosen the road of honor.
All together as a fist you have already won.
You should not go back to work for 500euros!!
The industrialists are waiting around the corner
Your victory is close.
Let’s join and see each other on strike.
Victory to the steel workers!
Solidarity.
Workers’ struggles in the private sector in Greece
[31/12/2011]
http://www.anarkismo.net/article/21610
January 06, 2012 18:55 by Kostas Svolis
Just before 2012
400 workers in the steel factory of Aspropyrgos (near Athens), Halyvourgiki Inc. v Citigroup Global Markets Limited, are in their 60th day of striking, as their struggle is becoming almost emblematic for the working class of the country. Many solidarity actions, as well as events that aim at the economic and political support of the strike are taking place every week in neighborhoods and cities.
400 workers in the steel factory of Aspropyrgos (near Athens), Halyvourgiki Inc. v Citigroup Global Markets Limited, are in their 60th day of striking, as their struggle is becoming almost emblematic for the working class of the country. Many solidarity actions, as well as events that aim at the economic and political support of the strike are taking place every week in neighborhoods and cities. Representatives from the popular assemblies of neighborhoods, grassroots worker’s unions, non-parliamentary parties of the left, anarchist collectives and social centers, as well as students and pensioners walk through the factory’s gates everyday to express their support and show their solidarity either by economic sums that are added to the striker’s autonomously organised fund or by donating food and other basic products that the strikers need.
The 400 workers refused to accept the bosses’ intimidation who imposed a change in their contracts so that they would work 5 hours per day with a 40% wage cut. After the refusal, the company sacked 50 workers. Then all the workers went on a permanent strike till their demands are satisfied and their co-workers are back at work. Even though the worker’s union is controlled by the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) this has not posed a barrier to a growing movement of solidarity from different parts of the radical political scene in Greece.
The steel workers struggle is of course not the only one taking place today at the workplace. In the contrary, during the last year we are witnessing a new phase of numerous, confrontational and hard class struggles in Greece. This is taking place as people have been totally disillusioned after the failure of the rare and spread out 1 or 2-day general strikes that took place during 2010 and 2011 (they were called by the big unions of the private and public sector). The general strikes didn’t pose a threat to the greek state and the bosses so they just went ahead with the austerity measures. These measures cancelled workers rights and are leading to a great devaluation of work.
Therefore, due to this disillusionment, we are now witnessing that struggles have started developing at a smaller scale: that of the restructuring of work relations, in the workplace. These struggles are mostly related to companies that either closed down their business claiming they could not survive (essentially they just experienced reduced profits) or to businesses that have stopped paying their employees for the same reason. Even though these struggles are not taking the spectacular form of demonstrations or clashes in the streets, and even though they constitute (for the time being) a defensive response to the attack of the capitalist class, they still are very important for the struggling working classes that live in greece. Because these struggles are articulating that the crisis is not one related to the “nation” (national crisis), but rather to social class. The antagonism or competition does not exist between the greek nation and some “foreign profiteers” (IMF, EU and the debt capital), but between the working class and the local, national and international capital. It is the greek capital that is trying to hold on to its profits and pass on the burdens of its debt to the people.
The main subjects of the struggles have been the service sector workers. However, more recently is has also been the industry sector workers, even though Greece is (wrongly) said to be a country that “produces nothing”. While it is true that agricultural and industrial production has been significantly reduced, the greek capital was transferred to the Balkans during the 90s’, where the multinational proletariats were brutally exploited and lots of capital was accumulated. At the same time, the exploitation of immigrant farm workers increased exponentially in industrial-scale agriculture in greece. During the 2000s the national capital invested in the services sector and the construction industry (eg.olympic games in 2004 and big public works) created a big part of today’s debt, and exploited migrants in a cannibalistic way at the construction sites.
Other industrial workers struggles
One hundred steel workers of “KONTI” in Volos city guarded the factory’s gate for 60 days (to prevent the company from having access to the production), demanding that the factory is reopened and their 6 sacked co-workers are given back their jobs.
Also, same tactics are being followed for 20 days now by 35 workers on alluminium factrory of Peristeri in Athens who are have been unpaid for one year. In response, the bosses sued 38 workers and unionists and declared “we are first closing your houses and then ours”.
The struggles in the two big milk production industries (AGNO and MEVGAL) have been victorious. The workers of AGNO clashed with the police outside the factory and achieved the re-employment of four (out of 8) workers that had been sacked due to their involvement in the actions. Also, the drivers of the lorries transferring the milk refused to pick it up showing their solidarity to the factory workers. The 11th October strike in the MEVGAL factory in Larissa was sparked by the bosses’ decision to sack 1 union representative and 17 workers and at the same time reduce their salary. The workplace union was very insisting and organized a 800-strong event at the factory’s gates. The company backed down on all its decisions in fear of loosing profits as the milk was going out of date.
Also, there have been clashes between 330 workers of the pharmaceutical company of Gerolmatos in Athens on the 30 November, because the bosses tried to take away big amounts of produce from the factory’s storage place. The company is still trying to impose a 1 day work per week plan and has not paid the workers for months.
The workers at the Mass Media sector
Due to the economic recession, the profits of the Mass Media companies have being reduced considerably, as there has been a significant cut of spending for advertising. So, the mass media bosses who have made a lot of money, not just from advertising, but also from money given to them for bribing purposes (political parties etc.), are not willing to accept earning less profits and are trying to pass on this ‘burden’ to the workers.
The employees of ELEFTHEROTYPIA (3rd biggest newspaper) are on strike since the 22nd of December. They have not been paid since August, so numerous 48hr strikes took place before December. The bosses are claiming that they cannot pay the employees because they cannot get out a bank loan. However, the last loan was spent on paying shares to shareholders and not paying the employees wages.
The 620 employees of ALTER TV Channel have been unpaid for 5 to 10 months and have gone on strike 3 times in the last year. Since the 10th of November 470 employees stopped the channel’s programme and have replaced it with a card instead, which informs the viewers of their bosses choices. They are also guarding their workplace day and night, making sure its closed and demanding their wages. The text in the channel’s programme also informs viewers about struggles in other workplaces!
Employees in the services sector
The employees of Vodafone won an important struggle. Doing a 3day strike in Thessaloniki and one day strike in Athens they managed to prevent the plans of their bosses to change their 8 hour contracts to 5 hour ones, with the analogous reduction in wages.
The multistore NOTOS COM tried to change all employees contracts from 5day to 4day contracts and reduce their wages by 20%, as well as cut down the employer’s national insurance contributions. The workplace unions reacted with a 24hour strike on the 1st of December, in which all employees participated. They guarded their workplaces in Athens, Piraeus and Thessaloniki and made the company back down, as the bosses were afraid of strikes during the Christmas shopping season.
The hotel Porto Karas in Chalkidiki (famous tourist destination in northern Greece) owes its 800 employees 3.000.000 euros (3 wages in total), even though the company increased its profit by 5% profit last year. Since the 2nd of December the mass assembly of the employees reacted by organizing a rolling 48hour strike until the 30th of December.
Precarious workers and the unemployed
During October and November the temporary employees of the Hellenic Statistical Authority carried out a population census, but were not paid for it. In Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras and Lesvos they organised demonstrations and squatted (just Thessaloniki) the HSA. They were asking for their payment, since the state refused to pay them for 6months. The census employees were mostly unemployed people that usually do temping jobs, but through autonomous organising they achieved to receive their payments.
Kostas Svolis, 31/12/2012
Days of Strike: a documentary on the strike of steel workers in Greece
[10/01/2012]
“Days of Strike”
A short documentary on the strike at Halyvourgia Ellados’ steel factory in Aspropyrgos, Greece. For more than 2 months, around 300 workers are fighting for what elsewhere is common sense: an 8 hour day and a 5 days working week, accompanied by a dignified salary.
http://www.i-red.eu/?i=institute.en.multimedia.255
Script - Interviews: Kostas Kallergis, Giannis Vakrinos
Director of Photography: Alexandros Theofylaktou
Editors: Theodora Katrimpouza, Ilias Tsiampouris
Music: Andreas Koulouris (from the soundtrack of “To Rodi” by Christos Karteris)
Open letter
[11/01/2012]
http://www.pamehellas.gr/fullstory.php?lang=2&wid=2197
Open letter of the workers in the Greek Steel Industry on the occasion of the strike on January 17th, 2012 in Attica District, approved at the General Assembly on January 4th, 2012
Dear Colleagues,
We are sending warm, class-oriented greetings. 2012 can become “our own year,” the year of the labour, popular counterattack. We must not lose even a minute; it is the time of organization and action. We continue vigorously our strike that began on October 31,without being frightening of the dismissals and the blackmails of employers. We will continue until our demands are satisfied. We demand the re-hiring of the dismissed workers, we demand to work according to the hours and wages provided by our Agreements. For us there is no difference among dismissed colleagues or not, we are all redundant, according to this we struggle.
Our struggle is supported by all the working class, the popular strata, with an unprecedented wave of active solidarity and support. It has caused the admiration of all workers and youth. Support messages arrive from all corners of Greece and from abroad. All the honest workers, even those facing the struggles with fear and distrust, or those not believing in the effectiveness of the struggles, consider our struggle as their own. They understand that a victory of the steel workers will be a victory for all workers. It will create confidence, militant environment, better conditions so that the example of Steel Industry to be followed in other workplaces too. .
Colleagues - female counterparts.
The measures taken by Manesis (the proprietor of the Steel Industry) do not concern only the Steel Industry. They are already being implemented in several workplaces, in many sectors. The goal is to generalize their implementation to all areas. There is a heavy winter in front of us and we must prepare ourselves for big, hard and longterm struggles. The black font of EU, employers and government is preparing for us a year worse than the last one. This does not and will not change with cursing and waiting, with social dialogue, or through individual efforts. We all know that.
This does not change, however, even with the struggles that we have known up to now. It requires our organising in every workplace, founding strong sectoral trade unions, with support in all workplaces, factory unions, trade unions´ committees. It requires a change of correlations in all areas. We need to be finished with the governmental and employers´ unionism, which is with the side of the employers, which identifies our own interests with those of the employers. But we know from experience that such a thing can not exist. It requires every struggle to be supported by all workers, like our own struggle. Without these, it is going to be hard to deal with the new governmental anti-labour measures of 2012, which are even worse than the ones Manesis tried to implement in the Steel Industry.
We call you to take the matter of the general strike on January 17 in Attica District into your own hands, a strike which the Regional Trade Union Centres in Attica were forced to decide. All workplaces in all sectors must be shut down that day. It is necessary this day to mark the start of hard struggles we must organize in 2012, with industrial workers as pioneers. In order for the new brutal measures not to be voted, for the reversal of a series of others that have been taken, in order for us to counterattack, until we get in our hands all the wealth which belongs to us. We have to show our strength, to show that we are the producers of wealth, “that without us no gear turns, we can do it without bosses.”
Colleagues ,
Through your participation in the strike you offer the best possible kind of solidarity, in our struggle, but you also help yourself. If we lose, you will lose too. If we win, you will win too, all of us will win. On January 17 you are not going to strike only for us but also for yourself, for all our class, against your own employer too, against the employers´ class as a whole. It´s time to rise up, we owe this to those who struggled before us, to the dead of the struggles. We owe this to our children, so that we will be able to look into their eyes with pride, telling them that we did not kneel,that we have not betrayed them. This is what we´re trying to do all this time. We are supported by all the workers and this gives us courage,and increases our responsibility. Now it is the time together, workers, self-employed, pensioners, young people, to take a step forward with the workers at the forefront. Long live the workers´ solidarity. The victory of the steel workers is first of all a victory of all the workers.