Brussels, 10/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - The campaign in defence of Greek trade union GENOP-DEH reached its height on Tuesday 10 January with the opening of the trial of its leader Nikos Photopoulos and 15 union members accused of preventing law enforcement officers from carrying out their duty during the illegal occupation of an electricity company's offices at the end of November. The trade unionists could be sentenced to up to five years in prison.
The reason this trial has been attracting media attention in Greece, and also among European trade unionists, is that it is seen to crystallise opposition to the austerity measures put in place by the coalition government of Lucas Papademos. The GENOP-DEH, supported by the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE), was seeking, through this action, to oppose government plans to impose a further property tax on the basis of electricity bills (refusal to pay could result in the electricity supply being cut). The clearest illustration of the symbol that this trial has become is the press release from the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) which talks of trade unionists “charged with protesting against the harsh austerity measures imposed on the Greek people by the International Monetary Fund and European Union technocrats”. Similar rhetoric is used by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) which, in a press release published on Monday 9 January, describes the conditions of Greece as “unbearable” and talks of a troika (European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund) which “continues to pursue brutal attacks on social protection, employment and the minimum wage”. (JK/transl.rt)