A written response was issued by Government Spokesman Marios Pelekanos, in which he returned the fire to the General Secretary of AKEL, from & # 8217; on the occasion of today's second speech on the Anniversary of Labor Day. “Poverty and financial uncertainty are dealt with by concrete actions and not by words and announcements that are usually unanswered”, said in his speech the secretary general of AKEL, with Mr. Pelekanos answering that “Unfortunately, for the secretary general of AKEL it is the memories of the employees from the projects and the days of the AKEL government are still fresh “.
The written answer of Marios Pelekanos:
Unfortunately, for the General Secretary of AKEL, the memories of the workers from the projects and the days of the AKEL government are still fresh and the tragic result for them: Abolition of ATA, restored by the Anastasiadis Government, uncontrolled unemployment which was virtually annihilated by the Government Anastasiadis, young scientists are forced to emigrate and thousands of households to resort to social groceries.
The government in a short time, not only reversed the climate, but also created conditions of unprecedented growth.
Today we are just one step ahead of the historically significant minimum wage agreement. And all this despite the fact that the current Government had to deal not only with the scorched earth handed over by AKEL but also with the unprecedented crisis of the world pandemic, and today with the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
That is why, when the General Secretary of AKEL talks about the employees, to know that these are not masses, as AKEL likes to characterize them, but citizens with memory and judgment.
Stefanos Stefanos's speech at the PEO event:
May Day is a day of honor for us in Chicago. Day of reflection of the workers' struggles and reorganization for the struggles that are given. Class and social struggles, which are a reference point for our philosophy and ideological identity.
But Labor Day is something else. Something much more personal but at the same time deeply political. It is a look in the mirror of our political consciousness. Where we remind ourselves why we have chosen this path of defending the world of work and protecting the economically weakest.
Speaking of May Day we can not distance ourselves from the reality in which we live.
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We can not and do not have the right to forget the anguish of young people who struggle to stand on their own two feet, offering the maximum and receiving the minimum.
We can not and do not have the right to pass the messages of the times for the pressure received by the vulnerable groups, for the abolition of the labor acquis and for the cynicism of a political logic that only counts profits and losses.
May Day for AKEL is an opportunity to renew the social contract with the people.
The pandemic on the one hand, the war in Ukraine and its aftermath on the other, have exacerbated the very difficult environment in which workers and societies live. An environment that is becoming more difficult because of the neoliberal policies that have been in place for decades.
Policies that degrade the welfare state and abolish labor, trade union and social rights.
Policies that broaden class and social inequalities, increase economic insecurity and push millions to the margins of society.
Policies that bleed the wealth of many poor countries by plunging their peoples into cold exploitation, misery, war and conflict.
This is the modern world that feeds the conditions for the strengthening of the extreme right and fascism. The calls made by Europe's leading elites to tackle the far right are neither convincing nor effective. As long as the ruling circles do not honestly indulge in the social and economic problems of the popular strata, as long as they continue the anti-popular and anti-social policies, the far right will invade, threatening peace, democracy and freedom. The Right, on the one hand, cannot shake the far-right danger – which admittedly exists – and, on the other hand, can treat it and use it as its class, political and electoral reserve to impose its anti-popular policies.
The situation in the modern world, for the umpteenth time in human history, calls for new struggles and claims. For workers' rights, for social justice, for the rights and freedoms of societies against authoritarianism, conservatism, the greed of big business and big business.
We are facing a microcosm of this situation in Cyprus with the government of the place by the Anastasiadis-DISY government. The policies and attitudes of the Alarm Government are widening inequalities and the future for workers is becoming increasingly bleak. It is the Government of Alarm that supports and promotes the deregulation of labor relations and labor without rights.
The rulers neither want nor can put them in the best interests. Because they simply serve.
Rulers neither want nor can relieve the world of continued precision and scandal. They live in another, parallel reality that has nothing to do with the hardships experienced by tens of thousands of our hard-working fellow citizens. Thousands of households and small and medium-sized businesses are not doing well. Revenues are running out of accuracy and production costs have skyrocketed.
This is the bitter reality of Alarm governance.
Poverty and financial uncertainty are tackled with concrete actions and not with words and announcements that are usually unanswered.
AKEL has long submitted concrete proposals for the relief of employees, households and the media. Proposals for substantial reductions in the price of electricity, such as the proposal to reduce VAT from 19% to 9%. To reduce fuel prices by abolishing double taxation and utilizing the ceiling. To tackle notoriety with continuous and effective controls on basic goods.
Today, when one in ten workers in Cyprus is threatened by poverty, the shielding of workers and especially the most vulnerable groups is absolutely imperative. AKEL demands, and will continue to demand, the full restoration of ATA and its expansion to all its employees. It demands adjustment of social benefits and support for low-income retirees. He insists on abolishing the 12% cut in early pensions. It promotes the demand for a decent minimum wage without eroding the collective agreements and the rights of the employees.
The employees of the place can not withstand another five years of Alarm. Instead, employees expect a progressive change in local governance. A change that will give way to the current deadlocks. Change in the policies, in the priorities, in the style and in the ethos of the government.
AKEL gives this battle together with the employees and the society. The demand for progressive change is massive and AKEL will put its stamp on it.
Change, which starts from the rebirth of hope for our Cyprus and our people, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, with the resolution of the Cyprus problem, the end of the Turkish occupation and the reunification of our country.
A change that opens up prospects for our young men and women.
