Most of Portugal’s public transport system, including the ports, was paralysed on March 22, as workers took part in the general strike called by the largest union federation, the CGTP (the General Confederation of the Portuguese Workers), which organises over 700,000 workers. Unfortunately, the country’s second-largest union, the UGT (the General Workers’ Union), with its 500,000 members did not back the action this time. This explains the weaker impact of this latest strike.
Nonetheless, the railways were brought to a major standstill, including the international Lisbon-Madrid route. Lisbon’s underground system was also shut. Many hospitals were only dealing with emergencies, while refuse collectors also came out, and some schools were forced to close.
The UGT leaders did not support the call for the strike because they have agreed to the labour market reforms that the European Union and IMF had demanded in return for the bailout packages. They have called for restraint, as they believe this is the only way of avoiding the country going down the same path as Greece.
However, in spite of the kind collaboration of the UGT leaders, the austerity measures imposed by the government are not working. Portugal is in its worst recession since the 1970s. Tax revenues are therefore falling and this means that the country cannot meet its debt repayment targets and everyone is expecting Portugal to need a second bailout sometime this year.
The leaders of the UGT may have avoided this latest strike becoming truly general, but they are fooling themselves if they believe they can convince the Portuguese workers to accept this level of austerity without a backlash at some point. We have seen massive mobilizations in Portugal in the recent period, and as it becomes abundantly clear that austerity isn’t working the pressure will also be brought to bear on the UGT leaders and new and more powerful general strikes are inevitable. Portugal will go the same way as Greece, as night follows day.
German public sector workers
Meanwhile in Germany we are seeing a wave of strikes particularly in the public sector. [See Workers want their share of the cake – Hot spring in Germany?]. Germany’s ruling class has stubbornly stuck to its policy of imposing austerity on the rest of Europe. Being the industrial powerhouse at the heart of the euro it can do this. But by doing so it has actually led to a contraction of the market in most of Europe. Greece is in recession, as are Portugal, Spain, Italy and Ireland, and many other countries are going down the same road.
Now, however, it is the German workers who are taking on their own bosses. Yesterday nearly all airports in Germany were shut down and hundreds of flights were cancelled. This was part of the public service union ver.di's warning strikes as it negotiates for improved pay and conditions. Today Lufthansa cancelled nearly 430 flights.
This is just a foretaste of what is to come in Germany. The German bosses will soon find out that the German workers are like their brothers and sisters across Europe, and will only take so much.
Spain – March 29 general strike…
In Spain the workers are preparing for tomorrow’s general strike against government labour reform, which has been called by both the UGT (General Union of Workers) and CCOO (Workers Commissions). A massive response is expected. In spite of this, Prtime Minister Rajoy is refusing to negotiate and has indicated that he has no intention of changing his policy. This coming Friday a further round of spending cuts of 15% is to be announced. The government is clearly on a collision course with the Spanish working class.
…and growing pressure on Italian unions
And in Italy the pressure is mounting for similar action to be called. The metal workers union, Fiom (which is part of the CGIL confederation) organised an eight-hour nationwide strike on March 9 also against new labour laws that are aimed to make it easier to sack workers. Susanna Camusso is the CGIL’s General Secretary. She is not renowned for being a militant union leader, on the contrary, but she has recently come out stating a general strike is inevitable and could be called either in April or May. The law on so-called “labour market reforms” is shortly to be debated and the unions are preparing strike action in protest.
Everywhere across Europe long standing workers’ rights are coming under attack. Everywhere the European Union, the European Central bank and the IMF are demanding “reform” of labour laws. And everywhere national governments are obliging them. While they impose austerity they try to take away workers’ rights and weaken their ability to fight back. But as we can see in one country after another, the workers are not going to take this lying down.