The President OLME, one of EI’s Greek affiliates, Kotsifakis Themistoklis, met the Executive Board of the Argentinian teachers’ union CTERA in October. The delegation was led by Stella Maldonado, CTERA’s General Secretary and a member of EI’s Executive Board.
Maldonado spoke of the CTERA’s struggle and determination during the years of unbridled neoliberalism. That struggle led to important achievements such as the Finance Law, a new National Education Law, and a call to joint negotiations at the national level.
Mr. Themistoklis analysed the crisis suffered by Greece and other countries in southern Europe such as Spain and Portugal, in face of austerity policies that have led to unemployment and poverty for workers.
“The education budget has dropped to 2% of GDP, we have schools that are closing, 30% fewer teachers than in 2010 and scientists who are emigrating” stated Themistoklis.” “The government – just like Argentina in the nineties – is using the media to persuade public opinion that the public sector is too big and has to be cut back,” he added.
Stella Maldonado recalled that last year the President of the Regional Committee for Latin America, Hugo Yasky, and leaders of the CTA came to show their support for the labour movement in Greece, and she assured the Greek workers’ movement that they had the solidarity of the CTERA and CTA in their fight.