From the liberated building of GSEE

greece / turkey / cyprus | repression / prisoners | press release Thursday December 18, 2008 17:26 by Proletarian Initiativ

Communiques #2 and #3

English translations of the 2nd and 3nd communique. Both are responses to Panagopoulos' (president of GSEE in Greece) claims.

Communique #2 (17 December)

An offhand answer to "mr." Panagopoulos regarding his statements on NET channel (State TV station in Greece).

"Mister" Panagopoulos stated on the state channel (NET), that "some youngsters occupied the building of GSEE (...) if they were manual workers, they'd be on building sites now (...)".

This unearthy subject, belonging to the managerial staff of National Bank of Greece,that "represents" the workers, where is he himself now, and what does he know about building sites?

He has been a technocrat for his entire life, a manager in State Companies (DEKO), a party wangler and a gravedigger of struggles. This spokesman of PASOK politics within the workers' movement lives in the northern suburbs, smokes cigars and gets a fat paycheck, from National Bank and GSEE, while administering huge state and europe-union funds.

He got promoted from his boss, while it is forbidden for trade unionists to get a promotion during their service time - and he accepted the promotion.

He organized a conference for the 90 years of GSEE in the amphitheater of National Bank, namely the amphitheater of his boss mr. Arapoglou, with funds of the Foreign Office, thus showing his intentions and his class position.

Panagopoulos can go join his bosses, just as he does every day. Just as he signs the collective agreement with the employers, giving us the lower wages in Europe.

How dare he reproach the insurgent workers, he who is the ringleader of repressing every labor demand?

Here in the occupied GSEE, there is plaque that commemorates each of its leaders. Above the name of Panagopoulos, there are many other names of bureaucrats who got the reward of becoming PMs: Kanellopoulos, Protopapas, Polizogopoulos. On this plaque there are also the names of the appointed (not elected) professional unionists during Junta and the Occupation. That's where Panagopoulos' name deserves to be.

He can abandon us where we've been since forever: at work, unemployed, in our class position, in our night shifts, on the streets, on the insurrection during daytime, on the street...

If Panagopoulos has worries about those who now are at work, let him stay calm. They will turn up for the evening assembly, that will open up the building he kept closed during all these years. They will not go to work tomorrow -the day he refused to call for a strike-, to hit the streets and express their rage.

A rage Panagopoulos can't and does not want to comprehend, because that's what his fat paycheck and his repressive role dictate...

Here we are...

Proletarian Initiative from (not that young) night workers of the liberated GSEE building