The abridged statement below was initiated by the British Coalition of Resistance and signed by dozens of groups and individuals around the world ― including Australia's Socialist Alliance. See Coailiast of Resistancefor the list of signatories and to add your name.
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The people of Greece face an unprecedented economic and political crisis. They are being driven to poverty and mass unemployment by the demands of the so-called Troika ― the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund which has imposed Lucas Papademos, former ECB vice-president, as Greek prime minister.
Hospitals in Greece are running out of medicines, nearly half of all young people are unemployed, workers in some sectors have not been paid for months and many are forced to resort to soup kitchens or scavenge from rubbish dumps.
Now the Troika demands a cut of 23% to the minimum wage, the sacking of tens of thousands of public sector workers and decimation of pensions that have already lost nearly 50% of their value.
International capital is asset-stripping an entire country and ripping apart its social fabric.
Greece is at the cutting edge of austerity measures being introduced across Europe. All evidence shows that although these measures may protect the interests of the rich, they make matters worse for most people.
What happens in Greece today we will see in Portugal tomorrow and in Ireland the day after. In Britain, the Coalition government is pursuing similar measures that will see workers' earnings cut, working longer for a smaller pension, and the dismantling of the National Health Service along with other public services.
The Coalition of Resistance and the People’s Charter support the call for Europe-wide resistance and agree to work with trades unions, campaigns and parties across Europe to establish a European Solidarity Campaign to defend the people of Greece.
The campaign aims to organise solidarity and raise practical support for the people of Greece; they cannot be made to pay for a crisis for which they are not responsible.