this post was submitted on 20 Nov 2024
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Summary

A 24-hour general strike in Greece on Wednesday shut down transport, schools, and government offices as workers protested high living costs.

Unions are demanding a 10% pay raise and the return of holiday bonuses cut during Greece’s financial crisis.

They accuse Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of not doing enough to tackle inflation, despite recent minimum wage increases.

Hospitals operated on emergency staff, while protests and marches were planned.

Many say wages have not kept up with the rising costs of energy, food, and rent.

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[–] Clinicallydepressedpoochie@lemmy.world 151 points 1 month ago (8 children)

The one tool Americans refuse to use.

Apparently we haven't been fucked enough yet. I'm honestly curious how low we will go. I suspect there is no bottom and Americans are just flesh bags trained to seek out meat grinders.

[–] chuckleslord@lemmy.world 35 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Refuse? This was called by unions. In the US, that kind of union activity is illegal. What system do you think we can use in the US to call for a general strike that enough people would 1) be aware of the strike 2) agree with the need for a strike and 3) be able to participate without harming their livelihoods? Cause in Greece, the answer for all three was unions. Here in the states... I don't know if anything is setup for that. Even reaching enough people to begin with would be tough.

Like, be rightly angry at the laws in the US that make this nigh impossible, maybe raise awareness, but don't blame the damn victims.

[–] Saleh@feddit.org 34 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Do you think the strikes that got us workers rights in the first place were legal at their time?

They were attacked by the oligarchy, sometimes with dozens of people killed.

You dont get anything done against an oligarchy if you play by their rules.

[–] T156@lemmy.world 17 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

People forget that strikes are a civil option to the alternative.

[–] Eatspancakes84@lemmy.world 25 points 1 month ago (6 children)

The first problem is the polarisation. If people that are perceived to be Democrats call out a general strike, 50 percent won’t participate. Vice versa if perceived GOP does this. The polarisation and politicisation of every topic is what stops you from organising effectively.

[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago

Ha, like either of them would ever do that

[–] Tinidril@midwest.social 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

It's not a both-sides thing. The right hates the left for identitarian reasons. We are the "other" and must always be hated. If the left takes a position, the right will oppose it, even if they supported it first. The left hates the right for their ideological reasons that would be largely irrelevant if the right actually called a general strike.

[–] Eatspancakes84@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

Sorry I did not mean to both-side it. I am well aware that a union push will never come from the GOP. The main point was that because everything has become politicized there are no independent voices that can call for a national strike. If you want to dive deeper into why all is politicised you obviously come back to the conservative sphere (FOX, etc), so this is definitely not a both sides are bad argument.

[–] rowanthorpe@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 month ago

...which is very much by design. The "Ownership Class" have understood the value of "Targeted Divide and Conquer" for a while now. A line from Metallica's Master of Puppets comes to mind: Keep them tired it makes them well.

[–] Grandwolf319@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Vice versa if perceived GOP does this.

That logic really falls apparent when you consider that GOP is the one pushing unions out.

You make it sound like both parties have a strategy to help the workers… no… only one does.

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

Part of one at best. Certainly not its leadership.

[–] GiddyGap@lemm.ee 1 points 1 month ago

This is also very evident in the reactions to the election. Trump and the GOP were all screaming and hollering about election fraud right up until it looked like they wound win. Then crickets. Everyone is in only when their own team is winning.

[–] Clinicallydepressedpoochie@lemmy.world -3 points 1 month ago (2 children)

The first problem is people looking for problems, instead of signing up or lending support. You are the real problem.

[–] GhiLA@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

be in the system to change the system.

Tell that to the Democrat Governor in NC who's surrounded by wolves, gridlocking the whole state to a standstill year to year so nobody gets what they want.

Our system is part of the problem, if not Subject A.

[–] Clinicallydepressedpoochie@lemmy.world -5 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I understand troubleshooting as someone who has worked as a project manager.

First, you have to have a project to start troubleshooting it.

[–] Eatspancakes84@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I can simultaneously lend support and analyze why the probability of success is quite small. Anyway, this is an anonymous forum. Start a petition and I will sign it with my name.

[–] Clinicallydepressedpoochie@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

No, I mean real support. Yes, we will need people to analyze and strategize but that comes after we see movement. You can pre-empt some of the stuff and formulate some arguments, but that shouldn't be your opening line.

The thing we need now is people to call for one. I'm trying but I get so much push back its been difficult to not get discouraged.

If you want to show support, the thing that would help the most is another voice that keeps the idea of a strike in the discussion. Which discussion? All of them.

Good luck.

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 20 points 1 month ago

Union leaders don't want to risk their position and union by breaking the law. American law highly restricts when a strike can happen. The punishment for companies is generally a fine or a do over for things like a ballot. Punishment for a Union is often the dissolution of the Union.

Basically we need to completely rebuild the ideology around unions. Right now if a union were to strike illegally, get dissolved, stay on strike, and then prevent scabs from entering; they would be beaten, arrested, and ridiculed by fellow workers. We won't ever see a large strike in the US until workers remember that they are the de facto source of wealth and start acting like it.

[–] RagingRobot@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

We don't refuse I think it's just too hard to coordinate.

I'll take any day off work. I'm looking for excuses!

[–] b161@lemmy.blahaj.zone 9 points 1 month ago

It’s not like people need to even get into the streets. Everyone just coordinate to call in sick one day. Just one day to show yourselves the power you have, then go from there.

[–] Fedizen@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago (3 children)

American billionaires want self driving cars specifically because they can't strike.

[–] Phoenicianpirate@lemm.ee 7 points 1 month ago

No, but they can burn...

[–] MonkeMischief@lemmy.today 3 points 1 month ago

self driving cars specifically because they can't strike.

Unless it's pedestrians, the backs of trucks, road signs, irregular barriers, animals....

[–] smeenz@lemmy.nz 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

But the people who build and maintain the roads can.

[–] Fedizen@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

unless you're talking about tow truck drivers it will take a while for maintenance problems to catch up with the strike. This is, in my mind, why billionaires hate trains the most.

[–] GiddyGap@lemm.ee 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Well, based on the recent election results, I suspect there's literally no limit to how low Americans will go.

[–] JasonDJ@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Badwater Basin? Lower.

Lake Assal? Lower.

Dead Sea? Lower.

The canyon under the Denman Glacier? Lower.

Challenger Deep? Lower.

TO THE DEPTHS OF HELL‽

Lower.

[–] JasonDJ@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 month ago

Bonus Panel: do the rising sea levels from anthropogenic climate change give us a bit of an advantage?