Strong turnout of Corfu workers at May Day strike rally

The strike rally took place this morning at the Corfu Workers Centre with a large turnout and lively atmosphere, honouring May Day and the long-standing struggles of the working class, 140 years after the Chicago uprising.

At the rally, organised by the Corfu Municipal Employees’ Union (OTA), the secondary school teachers’ union (ELME), the local branch of ADEDY, and numerous primary-level unions and organisations, the island’s workers united their voices under the slogan: ‘No sacrifice for their profits and their wars.’

The speakers at the rally linked the workers’ 1886 demand for the eight-hour workday with the contemporary challenges faced by workers in Corfu, such as intensified labour in tourism, rising costs, and the housing crisis. Among other things, the following were demanded:

Substantial wage increases and the signing of Collective Labour Agreements.

Restoration of the 13th and 14th salaries.

Permanent hiring in critical sectors such as Health and Education.

Disengagement of the country from imperialist plans and wars.

Continuation of events (Three-Day Commemoration)

The celebration of May Day does not end with today’s rally. The Corfu Municipal Employees’ Union (OTA) and the cooperating bodies invite the public to the following scheduled events:

Saturday, May 2, 19:00 (Kouramades): Event of honour and remembrance for the Corfiot educator Kostas Chytiris, one of the 200 communists executed in Kaisariani in 1944.

Sunday, May 3, 19:30 (Workers Centre): Major concert by the Corfu Municipal Choir “San Giacomo,” closing the three-day mobilisation with a cultural note.

Today’s mass participation marks the starting point for new struggles and organisation in every workplace.

ELENI KORONAKI