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Europe

Snowden revelations lead to decline in support for US in Germany

By Johannes Stern, 12 November 2013

The percentage of Germans who consider the United States to be a reliable partner has fallen from 50 percent in July to just 35 percent today.

UK: Campaign for “living wage” conceals falling pay rates

By Barry Mason, 12 November 2013

The “living wage” pay rate, set up by the Living Wage Foundation, is set at just £1.34 above the official UK minimum wage and has no statutory basis.

British unions deepen collaboration with glassmaker Pilkington over job losses

By Danny Richardson, 12 November 2013

The 140 jobs to be lost with the closure of Pilkington’s Float Glass Line at Cowley Hill, St Helens, comes on top of 150 job losses at the company earlier this year in the same town.

Romanian teachers protest austerity policies

By Andrei Tudora and Tina Zamfir, 12 November 2013

WSWS reporters spoke to education workers at a November 6 protest against austerity in the Romanian capital of Bucharest.

Pseudo-left groups cover for a rout engineered by Britain’s unions

By Paul Mitchell, 11 November 2013

The most grotesque of the recent capitulations by the unions took place on October 24, when the Unite union ended the Grangemouth dispute.

Persecution of Roma stepped up after “blond angel” child trafficking allegations

By Julie Hyland, 9 November 2013

The discovery of “Maria” was the occasion for a hysterical campaign over alleged Roma child-trafficking.

Irish unions complete sellout of Dublin Bus workers

By Jordan Shilton, 9 November 2013

Drivers at Dublin Bus face pay cuts and changes to working conditions in a multi-million euro savings programme, as a result of the trade unions blocking any opposition.

Upsurge of strikes and popular anger in France at mass sackings, tax hikes

By Alex Lantier, 8 November 2013

Workers led protest marches and occupied factories across France yesterday, amid explosive anger at the policies of French President François Hollande.

Workers Struggles: Europe and Africa

8 November 2013

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

German media, political parties debate granting Snowden asylum

By Peter Schwarz, 5 November 2013

The issue of the basic democratic right to asylum plays an entirely subordinate role in the debate in Germany on the plight of Edward Snowden.

UK’s Supreme Court legitimises compulsory workfare

By Julie Hyland, 5 November 2013

A UK Supreme Court ruling clears the way for an expansion of workfare, with 200,000 unemployed for two years set to be placed on a new scheme, with claimants having to do 30 hours’ unpaid “community work” for six months.

UK teaching unions call off strike action

By Tania Kent, 5 November 2013

The calling off of a national teachers’ strike exposes the role of Britain’s pseudo-left groups, who have provided a crucial cover for the trade union bureaucracy.

UK probation officers vote to strike

By Paul Veevers, 5 November 2013

Probation officers in the UK to strike against privatisation as their trade union, Napo, negotiates terms of a private sector service.

Right-wing campaign against Roma spreads across Europe

By John Vassilopoulos and Jordan Shilton, 2 November 2013

The mass media and political establishment are stoking up centuries-old prejudices against Roma people, one of the most oppressed and vulnerable ethnic groups in Europe.

UK lecturers and academic staff stage one-day national strike

By Robert Stevens, 2 November 2013

Rallies were held in major cities throughout England and Scotland.

Romanian trade unions support destruction of health care

By Andrei Tudora and Tina Zamfir, 1 November 2013

The union bureaucracy, non-governmental organizations and pseudo-left parties are supporting reactionary plans to privatize and rip up health care in Romania.

Czech legislative elections result in new political impasse

By Markus Salzmann, 1 November 2013

The elections last week exposed the deep gulf between the Czech population and the political elite.

Protest strikes at German department store chain

By Dietmar Hennning, 31 October 2013

The Verdi trade union organised isolated protest strikes at Karstadt last Friday and Saturday aimed at concealing the union’s role in wage and job cuts.

Unite union hands victory to INEOS in Scotland’s Grangemouth refinery lockout

By Steve James, 28 October 2013

The Unite trade union has agreed to massive attacks on workers’ pay, pensions and conditions, as well as a three-year strike ban.

NSA wiretapping scandal dominates European Union summit

By Christoph Dreier, 26 October 2013

The EU summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday was dominated by discussion of the NSA bugging of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cell phone.

Irish pensioners protest in Dublin

By Dermot Quinn, 26 October 2013

The Irish coalition government’s savage austerity programme is having a devastating impact on pensioners

Trade unions pave way for job and wage cuts at Spain’s largest bakery

By Alejandro López and Paul Mitchell, 26 October 2013

Spain’s largest bakery, Panrico, is preparing to sack nearly 50 percent of its 4,000 employees and cut wages by 30 percent, with the collusion of the trade unions.

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

25 October 2013

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

UK postal workers vote to strike

By Tony Robson, 23 October 2013

The floatation of Royal Mail is the last in a series of privatisations stretching back over 30 years.

Britain: INEOS launches assault on Grangemouth refinery workers

By Steve James, 21 October 2013

Transnational INEOS has utilised the Unite union’s sabotage of a planned strike at the Grangemouth oil refinery in Scotland to escalate plans to impose attacks on workers’ jobs and livelihoods.

New reports warn of mass poverty and social decline in Europe

By Stefan Steinberg, 12 October 2013

The social crisis in Europe is being consciously exploited by the continent’s political elite to affect a major redistribution of wealth from the bottom of society to the top.

German technology manufacturer Loewe declares bankruptcy

By Konrad Kreft, 12 October 2013

With the support of the trade unions, Loewe has laid off around 35 percent of its workforce in less than six months.

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

11 October 2013

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

Greek university strike enters fifth week

By John Vassilopoulos, 8 October 2013

Greek trade unions, where the pseudo-left Syriza party plays a key role, are working to isolate and defeat the 5-week strike of university administrative workers.

UK teachers in regional strikes as unions seek accommodation with government

By Tania Kent, 4 October 2013

Teachers across several English regions struck this week in the latest action to protest government attacks on their pay, conditions and pension rights.

UK regional teachers strike provides no answers

By a Cambridgeshire teacher, 4 October 2013

The teachers unions’ rally in Cambridge during Tuesday’s regional strike demonstrated the role of the unions and their pseudo-left supporters in preventing a united mobilisation of teachers against the attacks of the Conservative/Liberal coalition.

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

4 October 2013

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

Greek pseudo-lefts support state ban on fascist Golden Dawn

By Christoph Dreier, 2 October 2013

Fearing that workers will begin to take the struggle against the fascists into their own hands, the Greek government has arrested leading members of Golden Dawn to bolster the credibility of the state.

Banks and European Union demand further austerity in Irish budget

By Jordan Shilton, 1 October 2013

Estimates earlier this year suggested that public sector workers’ earnings were down 14 percent since 2008.

UK unions promote Labour at health care march in Manchester

By Robert Stevens, 1 October 2013

Around 50,000 people protested cuts to the UK’s National Health Service in Manchester Saturday in a march called by the Trades Union Congress.

UK bakers union winds up Hovis strike

By Tony Robson, 30 September 2013

In the name of flexibility, the Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union has agreed to reduced hours and cuts in pay.

Germany: Salzgitter AG cuts over 1,500 steel jobs

By Sven Heymann, 27 September 2013

In helping to impose the job cuts, the IG Metall union and the works council are playing a decisive role in offloading the crisis onto the backs of the workers.

Spanish Socialist Party toes US line on Syria

By Alejandro López, 23 September 2013

The efforts by Spain’s Socialist Party (PSOE) to whip up support for US-led threats against Syria is aimed at distracting public attention from the social catastrophe for which it is responsible.

UK teaching unions announce limited strike action

By Tania Kent, 23 September 2013

Concerned that opposition will develop outside of their control, the UK’s teaching unions are organizing a token show of resistance as the coalition government presses ahead with yet another round of attacks on education.

Up to 150 million in Europe threatened with poverty

By Stefan Steinberg, 17 September 2013

A report released last week warns that nearly a third of the European population faces the threat of poverty.

Greece: Thousands protest attack on KKE by fascist Golden Dawn

By John Vassilopoulos, 16 September 2013

Thousands protested in Greece after Golden Dawn supporters attacked Greek Communist Party (KKE) members, wounding nine.

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

13 September 2013

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

Britain: Labour leader praises unions for working with employers to cut pay and hours

By Robert Stevens, 12 September 2013

TUC figures show that British workers' pay fell by more than £10 billion annually and was 7.5 percent lower in 2012 than on the eve of the recession in 2007.

British unions try to head off new strike threat at Brighton council

By Paul Mitchell, 12 September 2013

The actions of the Green Party-led council in Brighton have exposed the claim of the pseudo-left that the organisation represents a progressive alternative to Labour.

UK: Wigan Hovis workers bring strike action over zero hours contracts

By Tony Robson, 11 September 2013

Workers at Hovis site in Wigan, north west England, decided to vote on strike action after 26 redundancies were made in April and agency workers on zero hour contracts taken on.

Germany: GM-Opel workers fear Bochum plant will close in 2014

By Dietmar Henning, 10 September 2013

Opel workers fear that General Motors intends to close its plant in Bochum, Germany sooner than previously announced.

Serbian government reshuffled in preparation for assault on workers’ conditions

By Paul Mitchell, 10 September 2013

The three-party Serbian coalition government is introducing further austerity, including cutting subsidies to more than 100 state firms.

Irish doctors vote for strike action

By Jordan Shilton, 10 September 2013

Facing intolerable working conditions as a result of an 8 percent health budget cut, Irish junior doctors have voted in favour of strikes.

Unite trade union ends DHL-Jaguar Land Rover dispute

By Danny Richardson, 7 September 2013

A massive vote for strike action by workers employed by the logistics firm DHL had the potential to halt production at Jaguar Land Rover sites, but this was sabotaged by the Unite union.

Euro zone hatches plan to wring further billions from Greece

By Robert Stevens, 6 September 2013

According to a report, the EU, ECB and IMF sent an email to the Greek government “insisting on liquidating state enterprises and dismissing their employees without compensation.”

Apartheid for asylum seekers comes to Europe

By Robert Stevens, 6 September 2013

The official European parties of every colouration espouse a filthy concoction of economic nationalism and social chauvinism.

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

6 September 2013

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

A letter from film producer Tony Garnett

“Edward Snowden has shone a light into the secret activities of the State”

2 September 2013

The following comment in defence of former National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden was submitted to the World Socialist Web Site by film producer and author Tony Garnett.

Eastern European migrant workers face slave labour in Germany

By Anna Rombach, 30 August 2013

Many workers from Bulgaria and Romania seeking work in Germany as a result of the austerity measures of the EU are denied minimal social rights.

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

30 August 2013

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

Germany: All-party coalition defends the secret services

By Christoph Dreier, 26 August 2013

All the establishment parties are seeking to whitewash the intelligence agencies and cover over their role in building up the far right scene.

Retired German auto workers fight for pension increase

By our correspondent, 26 August 2013

Former Opel workers held a demonstration at the company’s Bochum plant last Wednesday to demand an increase to their pensions.

German EVG rail union takes on management role to deal with transport chaos

By Helmut Arens, 19 August 2013

The German rail company Deutsche Bahn has responded to the transportation crisis by further integrating the EVG union into company management.

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

16 August 2013

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

The EU and the attack on European workers’ wages

By Julie Hyland, 15 August 2013

A new study by the UK’s House of Commons Library finds that European workers’ wages have fallen drastically since the Wall Street crash five years ago.

New management at German giant Siemens to introduce further cuts

By Elisabeth Zimmermann, 15 August 2013

Hit by the economic downturn, Siemens, Germany’s third largest industrial concern, has announced plans for further cuts.

Dublin Bus workers sold out by unions

By Jordan Shilton, 15 August 2013

Another strike by bus workers, protesting attacks on working conditions, pay and drivers' schedules, has been ended by the trade unions.

British navy sails for Gibraltar as tensions escalate with Spain

By Paul Mitchell, 14 August 2013

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said his government would “take the necessary measures to defend the interests of Spanish citizens.”

Fascist Golden Dawn makes visit to Greek shipyards

By John Vassilopoulos, 14 August 2013

The visit by Greece’s fascist Golden Dawn party to Perama shipyard workers is an indictment of the trade union bureaucracy.

Protests at Greek detention camp highlight state violence against immigrants in Europe

By Stefan Steinberg, 13 August 2013

The EU’s agency for the protection of European borders, Frontex, has worked with the Greek state to set up centres that are characterized by subhuman conditions.

Obama, Greek premier stress close military and intelligence ties

By Christoph Dreier, 12 August 2013

During Antonis Samaras’ trip to Washington last week, Obama made clear that the US is prepared to back military repression to deal with increasing social opposition in Greece.

IMF calls for 10 percent wage cuts in Spain

By Alejandro López, 9 August 2013

The International Monetary Fund calls for a deepening of austerity in Spain, including an accord with the trade unions to lower wages even further.

Chairman of German Pirate Party defends the secret services

By Johann Muller and Lucas Adler, 7 August 2013

The Pirate Party, founded only a few years ago on the basis of demands for transparency, data protection and privacy, is responding to the exposure of the largest surveillance machinery in human history by granting political legitimacy to the secret services.