Geneva, 14-06-2017

Speech of Chrysi Lampoudi, Vice President of the FISE
Dear Collegues,
We represent here today the FISE which was founded in 1946 and which from then until now is a member of the WFTU. At the same time we are a permanent member of UNESCO in Paris, and we actively participate in all the interesting international Forums that have to do with Education and teachers. We believe that from 1946 until today our organization has dealt with all the major subjects concerning education. Through the struggle of the workers of the past century, we have achieved great progress and many of the problems of teachers were resolved. Illiteracy was contained, and in several countries first level education became mandatory.
Unfortunately in the last decade governments around the world are trying to get back everything with achieved through our struggle. The deep economic crisis of capitalism is being used by the governments as an excuse to dismantle free and public education, to lower the quality of education and take back the rights of teachers and professors.
In many countries we have in progress what we call an “education reform” . In reality it should be called “anti-educational reform” because its real target is to destroy what we have built for decades.
⦁ The central goal of capitalists and monopolies is the privatization of education.
⦁ The quality of education is on a constant drop and the historical truth is being twisted
⦁ Parents and students are being forced to pay for their education, something that the State should be obliged to do. Continue reading →

February 2^nd, 2017

FISE, condemns the attack of Police forces against peaceful workers’ demonstration in Sri Lanka.

The workers of Sri Lanka, on February 1^st, held a massive demonstration against the privatization of Ports, Terminals, etc. The demonstration with the participation of thousands of workers moved to the Presidential House to meet with the President of his representative. Instead it was met by police forces with water canons and tear gases. Once more is proved that antiworkers’ policies go hand in hand with violence and oppression against the peoples and the workers.

FISE condemns the violent oppression of the Sri Lankan Government against the workers. Expresses its solidarity to the workers and ICEU of Sri Lanka in their just struggle.

SECRETARIAT

winterDA17speech

Continue reading →

WFTU and PAME expressed once more their solidarity with the Palestinian People with an Event at the Headquarters of PAME in Athens. Present at the Event were the Ambassador of Palestine in Greece, Marwan Toubassi, the General Secretary of the WFTU and trade union leaders of National Federations, Labour Centres and Trade Unions of Athens.
PAME highlighted that this initiative took place because of the escalation of the Israeli aggressiveness against the people of Palestine. Aggressiveness that it is based on the tolerance and support of USA-NATO-European Union and Governments, like the Government of Greece, which strengthens its economic, political and military cooperation with the murderer-state of Israel.
It was only last week that Israel announced it would proceed with the construction of 2,500 new houses-settlements in the context of its settlement activity in the occupied West Bank. This is the largest number of housing announced for years, in the occupied Palestinian territories.
For his part, the Palestinian Ambassador thanked the WFTU and PAME for their constant support to the Palestinian People, and informed of new developments in the area.
The General Secretary of WFTU informed that already the World Federation of Trade Unions has called on its unions-members in all continents to engage in Solidarity Events and Actions on March 30.
PAME pledged to take new initiatives to strengthen solidarity with the just struggle of the Palestinian people.
Photos at: https://plus.google.com/photos/111424066969409429174/album/6381380466810970097?authkey=CKXBz6yas4Og-wE

Greece, Athens January 30 , 2017

The working class of Piraeus, the students and teachers of the local schools, with the Parents’ Associations held a militant demonstration on Saturday, January 21^st, against the racism and xenophobia cultivated by the fascists of Golden Dawn.

The demonstration was organized as a response to the fascists, after a school meeting for the reception of refugee children was attacked by a fascist raid battalion, of the Golden Dawn last Tuesday. The fascists had attacked the parents and the teachers, while police forces were present and did nothing to stop them. The fascists were repelled by the strong stance of the teachers and the people at the school.

At the demonstration the class unions, the students, parents and teachers highlighted that the people of Piraeus is welcoming the refugee children, the victims of imperialism, and together must fight against those who create poverty and wars.

Photos at: https://plus.google.com/photos/111424066969409429174/albums/6378693678304241809

Greece, Athens January 23 , 2017

Teachers Association of Primary Education of Eastern Attica ” SOCRATES”

http://syllogos-socratis.gr/  mail: sokratis.syllogos@gmail.com

22/01/17

It is well known that among the thousands of uprooted people, as a result of the imperialist wars and military interventions in the Near East, 22,000 are children, according to the data supplied by the Greek Government. Consequently, the issue of the education of refugee children and their support is crucial.
On 19th September 2016, the government, in an effort to create a positive impression, announced the Creation of Spaces for the Hosting and Education of refugee children (DYEP) (Ministry of Education, Ministry of Development, Ministry of Immigration and Ministry of Health). The initial plan was 800 classes in 46 regions.
In the end, these spaces (D.Y.E.P. ) addressed only to a very small number of children. This number concerns less than 1,000 children. No D.Y.E.P. place is provided for children aged 4 to 6 in Greece. And for the children of the age of 13-15 not more than 3-5 spaces D.Y.E.P. are going to work
Also, several problems, associated with these spaces, are emerging, especially in regard to the sufficiency and the functioning of the school buildings. The Greek Government has not ensured for the municipalities the sum of money required for the daily cleaning of the schools and the basic feeding of the children.
We demand:
• Immediate operation of all Spaces of Hosting and Education of Refugee Children D.Y.E.P. (according to the original plan), under the aegis and exclusive responsibility of the State, so that all children can benefit from the educational process. This means operation everywhere:
A) initially, of the D.Y.E.P. , but also the integration of the children in the public school, which presupposes necessary measures to create adequate conditions, so that their integration is essential.
(B) permanent support programs, in which children will be engaged in various and creative activities, during the hours they are not in school or in the Hosting and Education Spaces. D.Y.E.P. These programs will be carried out in the place where the children live and under the responsibility of the Ministry of Education, Continue reading →