In defiance of all the pressures and objections of the IMF/EU powers (and with the conservative New Democracy and the social democratic PASOK opposition MPs dramatically walking out before the vote) the Greek Parliament yesterday May 6th approved the “multi-bill” of a range of measures related to public sector issues, including the re-instatement of the fighting cleaners.
Today (Thursday May 7th) the cleaners are meeting Syriza Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras after their victory!
A small victory in the overall scheme of things, but hugely important symbolically. As the fighting cleaners told us when we visited them camped outside their former employer the Finance Ministry: “We knew nothing about politics before they sacked us, but we soon realised that the bottom line was that either he (meaning Samaras the then PM) will survive, or us. We are determined that it will be him who will go down, not us and we will win”. And … they won!!!
Commentary from Greece Solidarity Campaign Co-Chair Isidoros Diakides.