Delegates at Education International’s 7th World Congress in Ottawa, Canada, expressed unanimous support for Greece on 25 July when discussing austerity, debt, and the commodification of education.
Urgent resolution
Greek delegate Themistoklis Kotsifakis of the Federation of Secondary School Teachers (OLME) outlined the devastating impact austerity has had on the education sector in Greece in the recent past: a 35 per cent cut in the education budget, a 28 per cent cut in the number of teachers, a reduction of 45 per cent in teachers’ salaries, a national unemployment rate of 60 per cent. Austerity policies had led to “a humanitarian crisis in Greece”, he said, whilst proposing Resolution 7.3 Stop Austerity Policies in Greece.
Contributors to the debate from the United Kingdom, Cyprus, Turkey and Argentina spoke in favour of the resolution, expressing solidarity with the Greek people and education unions.
The resolution, which was passed unanimously, expressed the support of EI’s 7thWorld Congress for teachers and workers in Greece as well as the rights of workers to protest and demonstrate against austerity.
European region
“What is happening in Greece is an insult to the people,” said José Campos Trujillo of FECCO (Spain) on behalf of EI’s Executive Board.
Cuts to teachers’ pay, pensions, and public services “are at intolerable levels”, said Christine Blower, National Union of Teachers (UK). Other delegates called for investment in education to be protected and looked for stronger policies to improve conditions generally and strategic alliances to build solidarity amongst interested parties. Delegates also raised concerns about a move to a Europe of the North and a Europe of the South and the brain drain affecting different countries.
The resolution mandates EI and the European Region, ETUCE, to interact with European and global institutions and to support the actions of affiliates at national and international level.
Contributors to the debate were union activists from Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal, France, and Cyprus.