Summary

A 24-hour general strike in Greece on Wednesday shut down transport, schools, and government offices as workers protested high living costs.

Unions are demanding a 10% pay raise and the return of holiday bonuses cut during Greece’s financial crisis.

They accuse Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of not doing enough to tackle inflation, despite recent minimum wage increases.

Hospitals operated on emergency staff, while protests and marches were planned.

Many say wages have not kept up with the rising costs of energy, food, and rent.

  • Eatspancakes84@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    28
    arrow-down
    3
    ·
    6 days ago

    The first problem is the polarisation. If people that are perceived to be Democrats call out a general strike, 50 percent won’t participate. Vice versa if perceived GOP does this. The polarisation and politicisation of every topic is what stops you from organising effectively.

    • Tinidril@midwest.social
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      6 days ago

      It’s not a both-sides thing. The right hates the left for identitarian reasons. We are the “other” and must always be hated. If the left takes a position, the right will oppose it, even if they supported it first. The left hates the right for their ideological reasons that would be largely irrelevant if the right actually called a general strike.

      • Eatspancakes84@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        6 days ago

        Sorry I did not mean to both-side it. I am well aware that a union push will never come from the GOP. The main point was that because everything has become politicized there are no independent voices that can call for a national strike. If you want to dive deeper into why all is politicised you obviously come back to the conservative sphere (FOX, etc), so this is definitely not a both sides are bad argument.

    • Rowan Thorpe@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      5 days ago

      …which is very much by design. The “Ownership Class” have understood the value of “Targeted Divide and Conquer” for a while now. A line from Metallica’s Master of Puppets comes to mind: Keep them tired it makes them well.

    • GiddyGap@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      5 days ago

      This is also very evident in the reactions to the election. Trump and the GOP were all screaming and hollering about election fraud right up until it looked like they wound win. Then crickets. Everyone is in only when their own team is winning.

    • Grandwolf319@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      edit-2
      6 days ago

      Vice versa if perceived GOP does this.

      That logic really falls apparent when you consider that GOP is the one pushing unions out.

      You make it sound like both parties have a strategy to help the workers… no… only one does.

      • GHiLA@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        8
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        edit-2
        6 days ago

        be in the system to change the system.

        Tell that to the Democrat Governor in NC who’s surrounded by wolves, gridlocking the whole state to a standstill year to year so nobody gets what they want.

        Our system is part of the problem, if not Subject A.

      • Eatspancakes84@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        6 days ago

        I can simultaneously lend support and analyze why the probability of success is quite small. Anyway, this is an anonymous forum. Start a petition and I will sign it with my name.

        • Clinicallydepressedpoochie@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          edit-2
          6 days ago

          No, I mean real support. Yes, we will need people to analyze and strategize but that comes after we see movement. You can pre-empt some of the stuff and formulate some arguments, but that shouldn’t be your opening line.

          The thing we need now is people to call for one. I’m trying but I get so much push back its been difficult to not get discouraged.

          If you want to show support, the thing that would help the most is another voice that keeps the idea of a strike in the discussion. Which discussion? All of them.

          Good luck.