The General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE), representing private sector employees, opened its 38th Congress in Athens on Thursday with a a minute-long silence honoring those who died after the train collision at Tempi, central Greece, last week.
The congress was addressed by Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, who could not attend, by letter. "Much has changed since the first congress by GSEE in 1918," Sakellaropoulou said in her letter, "but the demand for decent work and living conditions remains consistent and powerful. GSEE's contribution to the research and upgrading of the field of labor is critical. The labor union movement has a key mission and duty in our democracy, both in the collective representation of employees as well as in serving society and the general interest."
GSEE President Yiannis Panagopoulos said the unions will request assistance and technical know-how from European and international labor unions on the train collision accident, and will submit research and proposals to the relevant agencies. "It is unacceptable to have a repeat of past phenomena - that is, lack of transparency, cover-ups, shifting the blame, and delays that lead to oblivion," he underlined.
He also spoke of the nearly 13 years of crisis, during which labor has suffered the worst, with wage reductions, abolition of collective agreements, dismantling labor laws, and youth unemployment, among others.
The GSEE congress will continue on Friday with speeches, a discussion of the year in review, and future action plans. It will wrap up on Sunday, with the election of new representatives.
Nearly 400 attendees are present, representing 120 federations and labor centers. Every attendee represents 1,000 union member votes.