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Published by the Sector of International and European Aairs Issue 5 FIGHT INEQUALITY NEWSLETTER March - May 2021 [email protected] https://www.syriza.gr/page/international.htmlwww.syriza.gr/page/international.html https://www.facebook.com/syrizaofficialwww.facebook.com/syrizaocial/ Designed by Windrose Graphic NEWSLETTER March - May 2021 Article by Alexis Tsipras in “Kathimerini” newspaper “The world is changing. Are we?” few years after combined with the exhaustion of global population owns 50% of the fall of the Ber- the worker, while being controlled global wealth, while at the same lin Wall (1989) and by the “electronic employer” with- time 1% is responsible for the almost two cen- out any possibility to respond. emissions of more than twice as turies after the However, the dominance of ne- much CO2 into the atmosphere A French Revolution oliberal doctrine, based as it is than the poorest 50% of the glob- (1789) – when the Right-Left po- on the ideas of the Right, is be- al population. litical distinction was historically ing challenged head-on for the The new US president seems de- established – Norberto Bobbio first time after four decades. The termined to respond effectively attempted to define the dividing pandemic, the climate crisis, and to the challenge of inequalities: line between the two political movements for the protection of “It’s time for big business and the wings in his book “Right and Left.” rights have brought focus back richest 1% of the country to pay According to Bobbio, the stance to values and needs that had what’s fair.” As he said in his his- of political ideologies toward ine- been forgotten or neglected. First toric speech to Congress, social qualities defines their difference. among them is the need to pro- spending will increase, but will not The Right considers inequalities tect human life through strong be paid by the middle class, but “sacred or inviolable, natural or healthcare and welfare systems. by the richest. The speech sig- inevitable.” The Left, on the other Second, the need to stop the de- nals much more than a change in hand, believes that “they can and struction of the environment is fi- the economic model of the USA. should be reduced or eliminated.” nally being given attention. Third, President Joe Biden brought If Bobbio’s work seems too dat- the need to restore social co- common sense back into the dis- ed, one can look at the work of hesion, which has been danger- cussion on inequalities. Humanity Thomas Piketty, who says the ously fragmented by the frenzied is at too critical a juncture to keep same thing in a new way. growth of inequalities between following doctrines that have Employees of digital platforms developed and developing coun- failed. And it is almost certain that know first-hand what this discus- tries, but also within Western so- what President Biden’s stance sion is about. They experience the cieties, is brought to the fore. brings will sooner or later affect uncertainty of the self-employed Research shows that 1% of the Europe as well. 2 Issue 5 Unfortunately, the government in our country is still fighting a rear- “The problem with Mr Mitsotakis’ guard action to defend the old world. It does not follow President strategy is not that he belongs to the Biden’s initiatives on increasing Right. It is that he vigorously defends the minimum wage, taxing wealth by using new tools and strength- the principles of a world that seems to ening state intervention in the have run its course.” market. It is inspired, rather, by “The world what Kyriakos Mitsotakis himself said before the TIF Forum in 2017: is planning outdated reforms in- goes hand in hand with the nec- “I do not have illusions about a spired by Reaganite and Thatch- essary steps toward a green tran- society without inequalities. That erite policies, such as abolishing sition and a digital transformation would run contrary to human na- collective bargaining and the of the economy. We need to build is changing. ture.” eight-hour workday. a modern, efficient and decentral- The problem with Mr Mitsotakis’ But our world is changing very ized state with the active participa- strategy is not that he belongs to fast. And the sooner the country tion of society. It is only a strong the Right. It is that he vigorously starts to keep pace with and to society – not market forces – that Are we?” defends the principles of a world play a leading role in this change, can lead to strong sustainable de- that seems to have run its course. the faster and more effectively it velopment. Reforms must there- And even though he desperately will emerge from the crisis, serving fore aim at establishing a universal tries to spin every backward re- the interests of the majority. welfare state, a guarantor of real form as somehow signifying pro- It is extremely crucial, for exam- social security. gress, he is in fact unable to under- ple, to use the resources of the re- At this historical turning point, it stand the radical changes that are covery fund and the new National is necessary for our country to taking place on all levels, also due Strategic Reference Framework be on the right side of history. But to the pandemic. in a way that will finally transform that requires a new government, His party’s stance on issues such our economic model and turn it in a progressive government. A gov- as citizenship, integration of ref- a sustainable direction. A transfor- ernment that, when faced with ugees and immigrants, LGBT mation that will distribute wealth the question of where it stands in rights, police violence, or the Pre- and profits fairly, that will protect terms of political dividing lines, will spes agreement, is indicative. As small and medium-sized enterpris- always choose to be on the side indicative is the way in which he es, and that will reduce inequali- of the interests of the majority. On passionately attacked, almost as ties. European resources need to the side of working people and the an automatic reflex, the proposal finance the necessary reforms productive, innovative forces of for waiving vaccine patents when to establish an economic model Greek society. After all, they are it had just started gaining momen- based on a shift to quality prod- the ones who built Greece. Not the tum. ucts and high value-added servic- few families who chose to send Even if one were to dismiss the is- es. Greece cannot and should not their money abroad during the sue of vaccines and patents as ex- compete with other countries on crisis, share the country’s spoils, traordinary, the structural problem the basis of reducing labor costs – and once again, today, expect to inherent in his positions becomes in short, wages – but rather on the become the main beneficiaries of even more clear in the glaring case basis of increasing productivity the recovery fund. of labor reform. At a time when the and investing in training, research global labor market is changing, and innovation. https://www.ekathimerini.com/ when the necessary fiscal space is It is extremely crucial that the re- opinion/1160824/the-world-is- there, and when public discourse structuring of our economic mod- changing-are-we/ revolves around proposals to re- el and our technological capacity duce working hours, Mr Mitsotakis 3 NEWSLETTER March - May 2021 All out attack on labour rights article by Mariliza Xenogiannakopoulou, MP, Shadow Minister of Labor and Social Affairs SYRIZA -Progressive Alliance : tations. It aims at the complete deregulation of the Labor market, at the generalization of flexible and cheap labor, at the abolition of the eight-hour work- ing day, by arranging working time under individu- al contracts and the imposition of ten-hour Labor without additional pay, as well as at the doubling of cheap overtime work. In the neoliberal conception the employer and the employee are equal; therefore, any notion of regulation and collective agreement is unnecessary. In addition, by overturning the trade union law, it undermines trade union freedoms, the he neo-liberal government of ND imme- right to strike, and seeks to intimidate workers, even diately after the 2019 elections launched with the threat of dismissal for their collective claim an attack on workers and their rights. The and trade union action. T"labor bill" they presented is the final blow to workers and wages, in a time of crisis, declin- At the mass strike mobilization on May 6, thou- ing incomes, precariousness and unemployment. sands of workers gave a strong and decisive mes- It affects all employees, both private and public. It sage against the government's anti-labor policies. also affects the unemployed, as it encourages the SYRIZA Progressive Alliance was there, and we are over-exploitation of workers by reducing wages, fighting this battle on the side of the workers in the thus preventing new hires. It strikes the new gener- workplaces, in society and in Parliament! ation first and foremost, condemning it to a future of cheap, flexible work, job insecurity and low expec- 4 Issue 5 All progressive forces need to join together Remarks by Alexis Tsipras at the conference “Our Europe, our Future” organised by the PES, S&D and Partito Democratico or over a year we have been faced by a We need a migration and asylum system based on global pandemic crisis that has challenged real solidarity, shared responsibility and respecting F our institutions and daily lives deeply. international law. Over many decades, progressive values and ideas We need the accession process in the Western have been viciously attacked by conservative and Balkans to move ahead.

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