World economic crisis, workers fight back

This video from Britain says about itself:

Apostolis Kasimeris of the Union of Public Transport Workers in Attica, Greece, gave a great account of the effects of the terrible IMF austerity measures on workers’ living standards at the National Shop Stewards Network Conference, June 2011.

He described how the Greek workers are fighting back with actions like bus fare boycotts, but are being hamstrung by the cowardice of the union leadership who are hated by workers, and by the difficulties workers on the ground face in getting together to work out what to do after ten general strikes! Both he and his very able translator, Eleni, were given a well deserved standing ovation.

Indifferent to the suffering of the Greek people and intent on pursuing a class-war policy across Europe, the “troika” experts agree that “on the ground, things will get a lot worse”: here.

ATHENS public transport workers were yesterday continuing for the fourth day running their ‘rolling’ strikes: here.

Trader Alessio Rastani To BBC: ‘Governments Don’t Rule The World, Goldman Sachs Rules The World’: here.

USA: The Democratic Party-controlled Senate passed a measure that includes no additional emergency aid to victims of natural disaster, a complete capitulation to Republican demands that additional spending be tied to cuts in other government programs: here.

Rhode Island homeless shelters are filled to capacity, coroners’ offices report rising numbers of unclaimed bodies, New York City threatens 100 schools with closure, and other reports of social distress in America: here.

Workers for the Canadian oil firm Pacific Rubiales ended their strike September 22 with an agreement to discuss six points. Some 7,000 workers returned to work at the company’s Rubiales and Quifa oilfields located in Colombia’s Meta state: here.

South Korea is experiencing a rapidly widening gap between rich and poor, combined with a massive expansion of irregular, low-paid jobs: here.

Philippine Airlines to sack 2,600 ground staff: here.

More than 3,000 Toyota Australia workers went on strike again last Thursday and Friday against the company’s attempt to cut real wages: here.