Het Verenigd Koninkrijk onder Thatcher in de jaren 80 was de eerste staat in de EU die massale privatisering van publieke diensten en industrien onderging. Vandaag de dag staan privatisering centraal in het neoliberale beleid dat alle Europeesche staten voeren om de crisis het hoofd te bieden.Samen met de strenge bezuinigingsmaatregelen, de begrotingsverkleiningen en de memoranda, worden privatisering aangeraden als oplossingen voor de crisis. Voor deze beleidsmaatregelen, die de kosten socialiseren en de winsten privatiseren, wordt gepleit door de meerderheid van de Europese staten, van Duitsland tot Griekenland en Spanje. De beleidsmaatregelen worden opgelegd en afgedwongen door de Europese Commisie tegen de wil van landen zelf.

Het meest duidelijke voorbeeld hiervan zijn de laatste twee verkiezingen in Griekenland waarin een duidelijke afwijzing van de bezuinigingsmaatregelen kenbaar werd. De EU-vertegenwoordigers negeren echter de wil van het volk en gaan door met het ingrijpen in de Griekse binnenlandse politiek en het terroriseren van de Grieken door de dreigen dat hun levens verwoest zullen zijn indien ze de bezuinigingen en privatiseringen niet doorzetten. Deze angstpropaganda heerst in Griekenland. Echter, zijn deze beleidsmaatregelen wel een uitweg uit de crisis, of hangen ze samen met de oorzaken die geleid hebben tot de huidige maatschappelijke en sociale toestand?

Catastroika is een documentaire die onderzoek doet naar de effecten van de privatiseringsprogrammas van verschillende landen. Van Rusland tot het VK en het Griekenland van vandaag de dag. De documentaire stelt een aantal vragen die aan de basis kunnen staan van een interessante open discussie: Wat is de rol van de EU en de architectuur van de Eurozone en hoe is dat gerelateerd aan deze resultaten? Is de Eurozone-crisis een probleem van Griekenland of Spanje of zijn er meer structurele problemen? Kom langs en praat mee over wat er werkelijk aan de hand is in de Europese Unie!

Plaats: Simplon, Boterdiep 69

Film: Catastroika

Datum: 26 juni

Tijd: 19:30

Taal: Engels

Discussie aansluitend op de filmvertoning

Real Democracy Groningen

http://realdemocracygroningen.nl/

The UK under Thatcher in the `80s was the first state in the EU that proceeded in massively privatizing public services and industries. Nowadays, privatizations stand at the core of the neoliberal policies that all European states adopt to confront the economic crisis. Along with austerity measures, budget cuts and the Memoranda, privatizations are advertised as part of the solution to the crisis. These policies which socialize costs and privatize profits are advocated by the majority of European states, from Germany to Greece and Spain, and are forcefully imposed by the European Commission against nation’s will.

The most representative example is the two recent Greek elections which delivered a clear message to end austerity and privatizations. However, EU-officials ignore the popular will and keep on interfering with Greece’s domestic politics by terrorizing the Greeks that if they don’t stick to austerity and privatizations their lives will be destroyed. And in Greece this propaganda which caused the fear prevailed. However, are these policies the way out of the crisis, or are they associated with the causes that lead to today’s social and economic conditions??

Catastroika is a documentary which investigates the effects of privatization programs in a number of countries, from Russia to the UK and today’s Greece. The documentary brings about a number of questions that can form the basis of an interesting open discussion: What is the role of the EU and Eurozone architecture and how is it associated with these results? Is the Eurozone crisis a problem of Greece and Spain or are there more important structural problems? Come and share your opinion about what is really happening in the European Union!

Place: Simplon, Boterdiep 69 (http://www.simplon.nl/)

Film: Catastroika

Date: Tuesday, 26.6

Time: 19.30

Language: English

Discussion will follow

Entrance: FREE

Real Democracy Groningen

http://realdemocracygroningen.nl/

Zaterdag 16 juni

Solidariteitsprotest

15.00 Beursplein, Amsterdam

Van Athene tot Amsterdam:
NEE tegen de bezuinigingen!
Solidair met de Griekse strijd

tegen Europees afbraakbeleid

De ontwikkelingen in Griekenland gaan ons allemaal aan. Jaren van draconische bezuinigingen hebben het land in een diepe sociale crisis gestort. De EU en het IMF eisen nu dat dit afbraakbeleid wordt voortgezet en dat alle lidstaten hiertoe worden gedwongen. Het wordt tijd dat het roer omgaat: mensen boven winst en burgers boven banken! Kom daarom zaterdag 16 juni, de dag voor de Griekse verkiezingen, naar het Beursplein in Amsterdam voor een solidariteitsprotest met de Griekse bevolking: jullie strijd is onze strijd – stem tegen bezuinigen!

De troika – de Europese Centrale Bank, de Europese Commissie en het IMF –  wil dat de nieuwe Griekse regering nog harder gaat bezuinigen, wat volgens interne rapporten zou betekenen dat nog eens 150.000 ambtenaren zouden worden ontslagen, gemiddelde salarissen en pensioenen worden verlaagd tot respectievelijk €600,- en €400,- per maand, en dat de ontslagbescherming en sociale zekerheid volledig worden afgeschaft. Deze maatregelen zouden komen bovenop de gemiddelde inkomensdaling van 25 procent, de 100.000 bedrijfsfaillissementen en een werkloosheid van 21 procent.

De situatie in Griekenland is ondertussen kritiek. Ziekenhuizen kampen met tekorten aan medicijnen, de helft van de jongeren is werkloos, in sommige sectoren hebben arbeiders al maanden geen loon ontvangen en het aantal daklozen en zelfmoorden is explosief gestegen. Het is dan ook niet verwonderlijk dat de bevolking massaal terug vecht tegen deze onmenselijke maatregelen.

Waarom gaat dit ons aan? De Grieken vormen de frontlinie van het Europese crisisbeleid. Zij zijn het proefkonijn voor maatregelen die in de hele eurozone op de agenda staan. Zo ligt het Kunduzakkoord in lijn met de eerste bezuinigingsrondes in Griekenland. En waar eerst hun democratie werd uitgehold onder druk van Europese dictaten, gaat dat straks ook hier te gebeuren. Bovendien probeert in heel Europa extreem-rechts te profiteren door de schuld van de crisis neer te leggen bij moslims en migranten. Deze verkiezingen gaan daarom niet alleen om de toekomst van Griekenland, maar ook die van ons.

Als het de troika lukt om haar dictaat verder aan de Grieken op te leggen, dan zullen andere landen spoedig volgen. Eerst Spanje, Portugal en Ierland en daarna de zogenaamde kernlanden. Maar als de Grieken een breuk met het afbraakbeleid afdwingen, zal dat een voorbeeld stellen aan alle Europeanen: een alternatieve koers is mogelijk. Een koers die het geld haalt waar het zit, die mensen controle geeft over de economie en die hoop biedt in plaats van haat.

Daarom roepen we op om zaterdag 16 juni naar het Beursplein te komen en solidariteit te betuigen met de Grieken: jullie staan er niet alleen voor! De arbeiders, gepensioneerden, studenten en werklozen van Europa delen dezelfde belangen: stop de bezuinigingen en stuur de rekening retour. Jullie strijd is onze strijd – internationale solidariteit.

Zaterdag 16 juni

15.00 Beursplein

Amsterdam

Georganiseerd door Reinform, Internationale Socialisten, DIDF, Grenzeloos, Real Democracy Groningen,  Doorbraak, Kritische Studenten Utrecht en Ander Europa.

Solidarity rally

15:00 Beursplein, Amsterdam

From Athens to Amsterdam:

NO to the cutbacks!

Solidarity with the Greek resistance

against European austerity

The developments in Greece concern all of us. The long-lasting implementation of harsh austerity measures has led the country into a deep social crisis. The EU and the IMF demand the continuation of these disastrous policies in Greece and in other EU-member states. It is time to turn the tide: People before profit and citizens before banks! Join the solidarity rally on Saturday June 16^th, the day before the Greek elections, at the Beursplein in Amsterdam to convey the message to the Greek people: your struggle is our struggle – vote against austerity!

The Troika – the European Central Bank, the European Commission and the IMF – demand from the new Greek government to impose even harder austerity measures. According to internal reports, these measures include the firing of 150.000 civil servants, the reduction of mean salaries and pensions to €600 and  €400 per month, respectively and the complete abolition of employment protection and the welfare state. These measures will be applied on top of the already-imposed 25% income reduction, the 100.000 bankrupt companies and the 21% unemployment.

In a meantime the situation in Greece has become critical. Hospitals lack medical supplies, half of the young people are unemployment, in many companies the workers have not been paid for months, homelessness and suicides are rapidly increasing. No wonder the Greek people are fighting back in massive waves of resistance against these inhuman policies.

Why does all this concern us? The Greeks are in the front line of the European politics of the crisis. They are the guinea pig for a policy that is on the agenda of the entire continent. The Kunduz-agreement follows the same line as the first austerity policies that were applied in Greece. And in the same way that Greek people were deprived of their democracy with the European mandates, we risk being deprived of ours as well. Moreover, across Europe the extreme-right is trying to profit by blaming Muslims and migrants for the crisis. That is why these elections are not only about the future of Greece, but about our future as well.

If the Troika manages to achieve their aim, then other countries will soon follow the path of Greece. First Spain, Portugal and Ireland, and then the so-called ‘core-countries’. But if the Greeks manage to stop these disastrous policies, this will become an example for all Europeans and show that an alternative is possible. One which taxes the rich instead of the poor, where people have control over the economy and where hope prevails over hatred.

On Saturday the 16^th of June, we call everybody to come to the Beursplein and declare to the Greeks: you are not alone! The workers, the pensioners, the students and the unemployed of Europe share the same interests: stop austerity and return the bill. Your struggle is our struggle – International solidarity!

Saturday June 16

15:00 Beursplein

Amsterdam

Organized by Reinform, Internationale Socialisten, DIDF, Grenzeloos, Real Democracy Groningen,  Doorbraak, Kritische Studenten Utrecht en Ander Europa.

Mogelijke manieren van samenwerken tussen verschillende groepen die geraakt worden door de bezuinigingen

In de nasleep van de recente economische crisis en als een antwoord op maatregelen van de regering hebben er verschillende sociale acties plaatsgevonden in Nederland. Nederlanders hebben de mythe dat ze niet deelnemen aan collectieve actie om hun bestaande omstandigheden aan de kaak te stellen ontkracht. De bewegingen van schoonmakers, gesubsidieerde werknemers, studenten, leraren en werknemers in de transportsector zijn hiervoor het bewijs. Ook hebben we in de afgelopen maanden samenwerking en solidariteit tussen deze bewegingen kunnen waarnemen – de bezetting van de universiteit van Utrecht en de VU in Amsterdam door schoonmakers en studenten. Alleen de samenwerking tussen bewegingen in sectoren van een sterke arbeidersbeweging creëren die tot een blijvende verandering in de samenleving leidt. Tenslotte is ook de organisatorische structuur van de strijd een belangrijk onderwerp.

Om die redden hebben we voor 21 Maart schoonmakers, leraren, studenten, mensen met ID banen en de hele samenleving van Groningen uitgenodigd om te komen discussiëren over meer en diepgaandere politieke samenwerking. Wij denken dat twee belangrijke onderwerpen moeten worden aangesneden om een succesvolle strijd mogelijk te maken. Ten eerste is een beter begrip nodig van de omstandigheden waarmee de respectieve groepen zich geconfronteerd weten. Ten tweede is het nodig om de overeenkomsten en verschillen tussen deze condities te onderzoeken zodat gemeenschappelijke doelen en idealen gevormd kunnen worden, die de basis zijn voor succesvolle actie. Door de veranderingen die het gevolg zijn van de bezuinigingen in iedere sector te bediscussiëren en de gemeenschappelijke onderwerpen te identificeren kunnen we gemeenschappelijke strijden tegen de nieuwe bezuinigingen. 

Platformdiscussie over sociale strijd in Nederland

Woensdag 21 Maart 19:30 uur

Locatie: Faculteit Gedrags- en Maatschappijwetenschappen,

Snijderzaal, M. 0061 Muntinggebouw

Grote Kruisstraat 2

Real Democracy Groningen

http://realdemocracygroningen.nl/

Possible ways of cooperation between different groups hit by recent budget cuts

In the aftermath of the recent economic crisis and as a response to government measures, the Netherlands have witnessed a number of social actions taken by different groups. Dutch people have disproved the myth that they do not undertake collective action to challenge the existing conditions. The movements of cleaners, workers in subsidised jobs, students, teachers, and transportation workers explain this situation. Furthermore, in the past month we witnessed cooperation and solidarity between the groups – the occupation of Amsterdam and Utrecht University by cleaners and students. Only the collaboration among sectoral movements can create a powerful labour movement leading to a true and lasting change in the society. Lastly, the organizational structure of the struggles is an important issue.

Therefore, on Wednesday 21^st March we invite cleaners, teachers, students, other interested parties and the whole society of Groningen to come and discuss possible ways for deeper and more political co-operation. We believe that two major issues need to be tackled for a successful struggle. Firstly, a deeper understanding of the situation that each group is confronted with is needed. Secondly, realizing the similarities and differences between the conditions each group is facing will enable the formation of mutual goals and ideals, which form the base of a successful action. So, discussing the changes resulting from the newly imposed measures in each sector and identifying the common issues, we can unify and organize the common struggles and oppose to the new austerity policies.

Discussion event regarding the struggles in the Netherlands,

Wednesday, 21^st  March, 19.30

Location: Faculteit Gedrags- en Maatschappijwetenschappen,

Snijderzaal, M. 0061 Muntinggebouw

Grote Kruisstraat 2

Real Democracy Groningen

http://realdemocracygroningen.nl/

We are people from different nationalities that participate in the grass-roots political group of Real Democracy Groningen based on the principles of direct democracy. We first gathered together in the spring of 2011 at the squares of Groningen participating in the huge wave of protests against the policies that hurt the rights and the lives of the people. We follow the spirit of hope and resistance as it emerged in Tunisia and in Egypt, that crossed the Mediterranean to Puerta del Sol and the Syntagma square and spread all around the world with the Occupy movement. 

We came together in order to be on the same side with the workers and the young people and we decided to take action and struggle as a reaction to the huge waves of austerity and budget cuts imposed by governments leading to the deterioration of our lives. All these measures are the consequence of the way that the states decided to confront the systemic crisis of 2008which resulted in decreased profit rates for the owners, and huge increase of debts and deficits, mainly in the EU. The policies that were implemented were a mixture of support for the banks and the multinational companies, in order to be safe, and of cutting much of the funds intended for the welfare of society. As a result, the unemployment skyrocketed, poverty increased and the living standards deteriorated in the periphery of EU while in the core this situation is in front of us. In the Netherlands, a number of measures have been while other have been accelerated: education cuts, deterioration of cleaners’ working conditions, dismissals in the mail and the transportation systems, cuts in the health care system, increase in the retirement age to 67 with the agreement of the labour unions. The gap in society in terms of income, which is rising dramatically, should be closed.

This is by no means a new development. However, today it is obvious to nearly everybody that former justifications fall apart. We finally now question what has been presented to us as inevitability and intrinsic to human nature, namely that we all are self-interested profit-maximizers, that unlimited economic growth is the only road to welfare and that a free market system is the best to regulate all aspects of human life.  The history of the past decades has shown us that these “truths” were rather assumptions that served the interest of a small minority than the people in general.

This is a situation that we must change!

Crisis has spread in a pan-European level and until now the elites have increased their profits by socializing the burdens of the crisis.  The role of the EU, which is part of the problem in this battle, cannot be hidden: the objective of the EU and the IMF is to save the banks and not the people. We fight against the policies and directives of the European Union, European Central Bank and IMF.

A common tendency among the working class is to throw up their hands in despair in the belief that humanity is corrupt by nature and that all efforts at moral progress are pointless. The best antidote to this attitude is to demonstrate the power of social movements. The people must take the future in their hands and to react within their grass-roots labour and student unions. We support and encourage the workers, who go on strike overcoming the fear of dismissal and fight for their rights. We stand by those who are now weak, isolated and disempowered. The message is solidarity, the means to express it is commitment.

We furthermore have to act in a way of pan-European, international coordination in order to face this harder and deeper attack from the governments, EU and the banks. People in each sector (like students, cleaners, workers in transportation systems and workers in the postal service) have to interact and to be connected in order to create a powerful movement that will demand an equal and just society.

In the last months apart from our weekly assemblies in which we have discussed issues of concern to the participants we have also joined the working struggles of the subsidized workers and the cleaners in Groningen and we organized demonstrations against current crisis consequences and solidarity demonstrations to struggles in Greece and Spain. Additionally we have organized several discussion and information events for the general public.

We struggle for:

-         Ensuring that the workers get their entitled gains of their own production

-         Job security, stable employment for everyone

-         Free education, health care and housing for everyone

-         Power in politics and economy shall be handed to the people by democratic means

-         Abolishing social, racial and gender segregation

Real Democracy Groningen

http://realdemocracygroningen.nl/

The Struggle of the Cleaners

In the past year, discussions about the economic instability and the necessity of implementing austerity measures have been dominating public and political discourse. Yet, it seems that the majority of the Dutch society did not experience considerable deterioration of life and working conditions. However, this is not true and the main problem lies in the fact that different parts of the society have been disproportionally hit by the crisis.

During the past months many people have faced dismissals or income reduction in the city of Groningen. Occupations mostly affected were subsidized workers of the municipality, cleaners and gardeners working in schools, university and public buildings. Consequently, Groningen community has witnessed several labor struggles lately. Nonetheless public awareness of this still seems to be low.

The reason for cleaners resentment lays in the fact that the budget for cleaning the schools was cut down by 30%, without any reasonable explanation. The working hours of the cleaners have been drastically reduced after the municipality contracted the cleaning firm Effectief. The consequences of these cuts are multiple and go beyond the cleaners themselves, affecting the schools and most importantly, children. Employees are now expected to carry out the same amount of work in less time, effectively reducing their income. As a result schools become dirtier, endangering the health of children.

So, hundreds cleaners are on strike for 30 days now. They ask for self-evident things as to be paid while they are sick and to have a normal work-pressure. They also ask a small pay rise. After 4 months of discussions, several rounds of negotiations, hundreds of small actions, 7 big demos in several Dutch cities the bosses leave out for a final confrontation by making an unacceptable proposal. They think that cleaners do not worth a paid sick-leave. They do not offer any security for temporary workers. To make things worse the employers associate any small pay rise with the level of employers’ contribution. ‘If they treat us in this way, then we will be more furious’.

The whole society in the Netherlands should support their struggle for better working conditions and for a better life.

Solidarity to the cleaners. They will win!

Do not save the banks! Save the people!

 On Sunday, 12^th February, the Greek Parliament approved the new austerity package that forces the people in to the misery in order to save the European banks and to increase again the profit rate. Under the pressure of the EU, the European Central Bank (ECB), the IMF and the Greek Government the Parliament decided to reduce the minimum monthly salary to 480 euro (435 for young people), the unemployment benefit to 370 euro, cut down pensions, and 150.000 dismissals until 2015. The priority of the state will no longer be to ensure a decent living to the citizens of the country but to serve the debt towards the domestic and international creditors. The agreement was monstrous.

These measures come in return for the agreement of the 50% ‘hair-cut of Greek ‘sovereign debt on the basis of the EU agreement on October 26^th. According to this agreement, the Greek sovereign debt will not be reduced further than the levels of 2009, as Greece will receive a new huge debt of 130 billion Euro. The new ‘rescue’-plan for Greece is actually a rescue plan for all the European banks. This money will end up directly to them and will be never returned to the people.

The huge sovereign debts and budget deficits emerged as a result of the neoliberal policies that are based on two pillars on states borrowing from international markets in order to finance projects that are profitable for large enterprises, to refinance older state debt and to enhance the arm equipment. Moreover, the tax evasion of Greek rich people in the last 10 years is estimated in around 100 billion euro.

During the period the Greek population is witnessing the harshest austerity measures since the introduction of the Euro. Greece became the ‘black sheep’-EU-member state and had to be punished hard. In 2010, the first austerity package was imposed by the Greek government under the supervision of the Troika (the IMF, the EU and the ECB).  In such a way sovereign debt is becoming a mechanism of reproduction of harder and harder austerity measures against the society. As a result:

• in the end of 2011, unemployment reached 21% and 50% among the youths. That means more than 1.000.000 unemployed people in Greece.
• Moreover, 30% of the population (almost 3.000.000 people) lives under the poverty line.
• The number of homeless increased rapidly and became part of everyday reality in the big cities.
• The number of suicides has increased 40% in the last year.
• Parents do not have enough money to raise their children and they hand over them in child institutions.

In the last period, hundreds of thousands of workers, unemployed and youth gathered at the Syntagma Square and other squares around the country to demonstrate their opposition to the new bail-out that was imposed by the Troika and Greek government, a coalition of the two biggest political parties PASOK-ND together with the extreme-right wing party LAOS. Loukas Papademos, ex-director of Bank of Greece and ex-vise president of the ECB was named Prime Minister to serve the interests of bankers. As it seems, he manages quite well…

No matter the efforts of the Greek government the EU, the Greek workers keep on resisting. On 12^th February more than 500.000 people demonstrated in front of the national parliament. The response of Greek state was massive police repression and state violence. However, demonstrators insisted and protested outside the parliament instead of the thousands of tear gas bombs.

• Because every day we see Greek families to be driven to poverty and to be forced to immigrate.
• Because we see more than 1.000.000 unemployed persons in Greece.
• Because we see more than 3.000.000 people living in the poverty line in Greece.
• Because the homeless people in Greece have been an everyday phenomenon.
• Because people in Greece select to commit suicides in front of this life that they prepare and apply for them.
• Because workers all over the world have started to rise up.

We stand on the same side with the workers and students of Greece. We demand the Troika (EU-ECB-IMF) to leave the country. We demand the Greek government to step down immediately!

We want austerity to stop all over Europe and the rights of the people to prevail against the profits of the elites.

As members of Real Democracy Groningen Group we express our solidarity to the workers and students in Greece who struggle against the hurt of their lives. We respond in an internationalist way since the austerity is global. But we are everywhere. Solidarity to the workers in all over the world!

Real Democracy Groningen

The society belongs to the people and not to the banks.

GREEK PEOPLE DO NOT WANT ANY OTHER RESCUE PLAN

Yesterday, the Greek Parliament approved the new austerity packaged that forces the people in to the misery in order to save the European banks. Under the pressure of the EU, the European Central Bank (ECB) and the IMF, and at the joy of the bankers all over Europe the Parliament decided to reduce the minimum monthly salary to 480 euros (435 for young people), the unemployment benefit to 369 euros, cut down pensions, privatize health care and education. The priority of the state will no longer be to ensure a decent living to the citizens of the country but to serve the debt towards the domestic and international creditors. The new ‘rescue’-plan for Greece is actually a rescue plan for the European banks. The northern European tax payers will be forced to provide another 130 billion euros to serve the Greek sovereign debt. This money will end up directly to the European banks and will be never returned to the people. As the previous rescue-plans, the new plan is only meant to fail and take along into the path of destruction, the Greek people but also the European pension funds and the state finances of the rest of the Eurozone-countries. 

The Greek people took the streets yesterday in hundreds of thousands to fight the decisive battle against their enslavement to the bankers. The puppet-government of the banker Papademos does not enjoy the support of the people. The brutal and unprovoked attack of the security forces against the massive demonstrations proves this.

We stand on the same side with the people of Greece. We demand the bail-outs and the ‘rescue’-plans to cease immediately and the Troika (EU-ECB-IMF) to leave the country. We demand the Greek government to step down immediately and all the responsible for the crisis to be prosecuted. 

We want austerity to stop all over Europe and the rights of the people to prevail against the profits of the bankers.

Real Democracy Groningen