More than three million people took part in strikes and protests across France on September 23. They were demanding the withdrawal of laws that will dramatically reduce the right of workers to access pensions. The protests, which had been called by a coalition of seven of France鈥檚 union confederations, showed that the passage of the Pension Bill through France鈥檚 lower house of parliament had done nothing to weaken opposition to the attack on pensions.
Austerity
Greek workers staged their sixth general strike this year on July 8. The strike halted public transport, stopped ferry services, and closed schools, newspapers, courts and public hospitals.
About 100,000 people took part in protest rallies in Athens and Thessaloniki, chanting: 鈥淲orkers, answer the war declared by capitalists with war鈥 and 鈥淟et the oligarchs pay for the crisis鈥.
Two million Spanish workers participated in a public sector strike on June 8. A general strike in the Basque country has been called for June 29. Spanish unions have called a nationwide general strike for September 29 and the European Trade Union Confederation is currently attempting to organise a Europe-wide general strike to coincide with it.
As Britain鈥檚 political class pretends that its arranged marriage of Tweedledee to Tweedledum is democracy, the inspiration for the rest of us is Greece.
It is hardly surprising that Greece is presented not as a beacon but as a 鈥渏unk country鈥 getting its comeuppance for its 鈥渂loated public sector鈥 and 鈥渃ulture of cutting corners鈥 (as the British Observer said).
The heresy of Greece is that the uprising of its ordinary people provides an authentic hope unlike that lavished upon the warlord in the White House.
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