Strikes are good for tourists!

Tourists stream into the Acropolis, watched over by riot cops

For the past few days employees of the Greek Ministry of Culture who work at the Acropolis in Athens have been on strike to protest the fact that they haven’t been paid properly for almost 2 years (!) and that they are due to be fired at the end of their short term contracts.

Workers blockaded the iconic site, one of the most well known historical landmarks in Europe and a birthplace of Ancient Greek democracy. They stayed entrenched for days until they were attacked viciously by riot cops on Thursday. The stormtroopers of the Greek government, which has surrendered control of the country to the dictatorship of the EU and the IMF, chased workers into the building and beat them, attacked passers by and journalists documenting their behaviour, and used tear gas.

Around the world, the capitalist press has been terrified by the militant fightback mounted by the Greek working class to the assault they face at the hands of the government, and have been twisting the info that we receive about what’s going on there to suit their own propaganda agenda. In this case, they tried to portray the situation as a clash between workers and cops, rather than a blatant attack on workers who have every right to be pissed off, having been used as virtual slaves by their employers. Another key aspect of their propaganda has been to focus on the tourists in Athens who haven’t been able to get in because of the strike.

Riot cops use tear gas on workers

In the light of this, the workers decided yesterday to take a new tack. Instead of blockading the entrance, they blocked the ticket booths, and declared that everyone would get in for free! Whilst the site remains under siege from riot cops, tourists have been streaming in to see the jewel in Athens historical crown.

In an inspired move, they’ve taken away the classic justification of the government that strikes are “bad for tourism.” How can tourists complain when workers’ direct action comes without a price tag?

The Greek mainstream press has accused the workers of “tarnishing a national symbol” (so what was the behaviour of the violent cops doing for it then?), and Greek Occupation Overseer Prime Minister George Papandreaou said:

“Nobody has the right to padlock the Acropolis and make this world heritage site their private possession. [Why then are you making unpaid workers charge for admission?]

“Such actions hurt the country. They are fodder for all those who are betting on Greece’s defeat and now rub their hands in glee.” [In fact Greece has been defeated and taken over by the international financial institutions, and it's his fault. Fortunately the workers are organising and mounting a resistance with their militant fightback.]

This of course isn’t the first time the Acropolis has become a defining symbol of the struggle against the austerity assault on the Greek people. Earlier this year the Greek Communist Party famously dropped a banner from it in an image that made headlines around the world, crying ‘Peoples of Europe: Rise Up!’

But the action of the Acropolis workers has shown that strikers can be creative in the way they try and get visitors on their side, and given us a little glimpse of the alternative future which we could map out to the one our governments are enforcing of cuts, environmental destruction and misery: a future in which you don’t need money to see our history, and the heritage of the human race is available to all for free!

(The workers have announced they will make a decision about their next move on Monday. We’ll bring you updates as we get them.)