International Day of Action held in 20 ports - “Dockworkers do not work for war”

Image via the KKE

On Friday, February 6, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) reports that mass, militant rallies took place in Piraeus and Elefsina, Greece as part of a strike opposing policies prioritizing capitalist profits and imperialist wars over people's lives and rights. The strike coincided with the International Day of Action by dockworkers, held under the slogan “Dockworkers do not work for war."

Strikes, demonstrations, and other actions were carried out by dockworkers in 20 ports across several countries:

Italy: Palermo, Salerno, Civitavecchia, Genoa, Livorno, Trieste, Ravenna, Ancona, Bari, Crotone

Greece: Piraeus, Elefsina

Spain (Basque Country): Bilbao, Pasaia

Turkey: Antalya, Mersin

France: Marseille

Morocco: Tangier, Casablanca, Safi

This mobilization represents another significant step in the promising collective efforts of workers in several countries. Among the key demands are an end to the genocide being committed by Israel against the Palestinian people, openly supported by its allies —the US, NATO, and the EU— as well as the rejection of the EU’s rearmament plan, “ReArm Europe”.

Dimitris Koutsoumbas, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the KKE, attended the strike rally in Piraeus and made the following statement “Today, here in Piraeus, we are sending a message in every direction: human lives are more important than their profits.

We demand immediate measures to protect health and safety in the workplace; collective labour agreements with wage increases; the removal of fuel tanks from Perama; Greece’s withdrawal from the imperialist war; and an end to the aggressive plans of the ruling class, which is sending our people to their deaths.

At the same time, today we express our internationalist solidarity with dockworkers striking in 20 ports across the Mediterranean —in Greece, Italy, France, Spain, and Morocco— under the central slogan ‘We do not work for their war’. Stay strong, and carry on the struggle!”.

For more photos see: International Day of Action in 20 ports - “Dockworkers do not work for war”