The federation, known by the initials GSEE, called the strike earlier this year after employers’ representatives insisted on a series of takeback demands in nationwide contract talks for the federation’s 600,000 members.

Both the bosses and the government, which was led by the social democratic Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) until the victory of the conservative New Democracy Party in elections last month, are pushing for two-tier wages and other measures under the slogans of “labor flexibility.” They advocate lower wages and tax exemptions for younger workers as their “solution” to the problem of unemployment, which officially stands at more than 9 percent.

Against the offer by the bosses’ association of a 3.2 percent wage raise, the unions demanded a general wage raise of 8 percent and an increase in the minimum wage from 23 to 25 euros per day (1 euro = US$1.20). Inflation is currently running at almost 3.5 percent. GSEE spokespeople said that the strike tied up large parts of transportation, along with many oil refineries, shipbuilding, steel and armament plants, and large construction projects. According to the EFE Spanish news service, 6,000 workers rallied in the center of Athens to support GSEE demands.

Workers at the city’s international airport called an action of their own outside the terminal building aimed at preventing check-in at struck airlines. Many in the youthful crowd of more than 150 were participating in their first such action.

Airport workers have been taking it on the chin for some time, whether they work for an airline or one of the handling companies that perform the majority of airport jobs. In the past 10 years they have seen reductions in wages, an increase in part-time and seasonal work, cutbacks in breaks, and speedup across the board.

On top of this, the airlines have proposed a nil wage increase in this year’s contract, and have demanded the introduction of split shifts and other measures. These attacks come as airport workers face the extra workload of the Athens Olympic Games this summer.

Some 80 percent of workers at companies organized by the Federation of Air Transport Employees took part in the strike at the airport, reinforcing the impact of the paralysis of public transport from the city. For the first time, workers from the newly formed union at Goldair Handling, the third-largest handling company, participated.

Aegean Airlines and Olympic Airlines, the national carrier, which has been on the auction block for some time, were not affected by the action. While Aegean is a nonunion carrier, workers at Olympic have long led the way in defending wages and working conditions. During the winter, flight attendants waged a 75-day strike that was able to lessen the impact of the bosses’ attacks on wages and working conditions, imposed as part of preparing the airline for sale to capitalist investors. From the Fyrogenis metal working plant, Alekos, a press operator, reported that 90 percent of production workers stayed away from work. Some 15 workers at the plant, which makes air conditioners, formed the delegation to the strike rally in the city’s center. “One month ago we held a work stoppage for two hours, because the company was a week behind in paying us,” he told Militant reporters, adding that office workers are owed one month’s pay.

Crying poverty, the company still refuses to fork out the back pay. “This is after so many hours of overtime we put in producing for the Olympic installations” for the 2004 Athens games, said Alekos. He said that union membership has more than doubled over the past 10 months and both nonmembers and members alike struck on March 31.

Natasha Terlexis and Maria Kiriaki are members of the Air Transport Employees Federation and work at Athens International Airport.  
 
 
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