THE GREEK GOVERNMENT HAS ILLUSTRATED VERY CLEARLY THAT IT INTENDS TO PLACE THE BURDEN FOR THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS ON TO THOSE WHO DID NOT CREATE IT.

MORE THAN A DOZEN GREEK TRADE UNIONISTS WILL FACE BEING SENT

TO PRISON ON TUESDAY NEXT

 FOR UP TO FIVE YEARS.

If you are a trade unionist fighting to ensure that workers do not pay the price for the global financial crisis that they did not create, 2012 looks like it will be a very challenging and eventful year.

On Thursday November 24th 2011, the Greek police arrested Nikos Photopoulos, President of the power workers union GENOP/DEI, along with more than a dozen of his fellow trade unionists. They will appear in court on Tuesday January 10th 2012 to face charges that could see them jailed for up to five years,

They were protesting against part of the Greek austerity measures - the cutting off of power to people unable to pay a new property tax, levied regardless of income or wealth and added to all electricity bills. The new tax is just the most recent "austerity" action by the Greek Government. The abolition of the national minimum wage and the lowering of employer-paid taxes are next.

Please take a moment to send a message to the Greek Prime Minister in support of the campaign organised by the Greek trade union federation GSEE, which is calling for the charges to be dropped. Send your message of support to "LabourStart" 4 Alexandra Park Road, London, England, N10 2AA.

And please do not forget to pass this message along to your contacts, and to use your Twitter, Google + and Facebook accounts to help us to get the word out - Thanks