INTERNATIONAL MEETING
of Communist and Workers' Parties
22-24 June 2001, Athens

Closing of the International Meeting of Communist and
Workers' Parties

Dear Comrades,

The speeches delivered by the comrades representing the
parties participating in our meeting have brought forth a
wealth of interesting thoughts and concerns. They reflected
the particular conditions under which communists are
fighting in various countries, and even the different
approaches to the great question of the forms and content
of communist' intervention in the labour movement. Here,
however, the unified nature of the capitalist offensive
became obvious as did the consequences if the capitalist
restructuring strategy. The irreplaceable and decisively
important reconstituting of the workers' trade union
movement and its militant class orientation was stressed.
For the Communist and Workers' Parties to intervene
effectively strong party base organisations must be
co-ordinated and must take common action. Struggles for
immediate demands must be connected on a daily basis with
the need to topple the multinationals and the capitalist
system and with the prospect of socialism. Their positions
and class outlook must be strengthening, as a prerequisite
for the militant unity of the working class.

The intervention of Communist Parties is needed in order to
deal with the splitting caused b the logic and practice of
the line of social consensus and class co-operation
promoted by conservative and social-democratic forces, by
the administrators.

Many speakers highlighted the growing and ever stronger
popular reaction and militant mobilisation, both nationally
and internationally. The people are expressing their
rejection of the anti-labour policy being implemented and
of the national imperialist agencies IMF, WTO and the World
Bank and by the summit meetings of the EU and the G8, as
they did in Seattle, Geneva and Gothenburg. These policies
and directions lead to mass poverty, an increase in
unemployment and to class and national oppression. It was
stressed the there is a need for yet more decisive and
co-ordinated action of the working class and particularly
of Communist and Workers' parties and for the bonds to be
formed with many parts of these movements. The need for
fresh initiatives to be taken in view of Genoa and of every
meeting held by imperialist organisations was underscored.
In every country this action can contribute to the
struggle, which is of crucial importance for positive
developments.

It was emphasised that the action of Communist Parties
needs to be reinforced against repressive mechanisms and
policing measures that are being intensified and promoted
in many countries to confront the popular movement.

As was natural, the speakers focused their concerns on the
situation prevailing in the trade union movement and on the
growth of the latter.

The particular importance of co-ordinating the struggle
waged by the trade union movement to face capitalism
restructuring and the offensive in labour rights and gains
were noted.
The need to co-ordinate those working in subsidiaries and
branches of multinational companies in various countries
was high-lighted.

The debate showed how important the immigrants'
organisations are becoming in the organised trade union
movements in the countries where they work.

It was emphasised the CPs need to intervene more decisively
in the political and trade union organising of the working
class in the workplace.

Stress was placed on the need for rapid briefing and the
development of research into the impact of imperialist
globalisation, the multinationals policies and other
factors in the stratification of the working class and in
the struggle objectives.

There was a common conviction that the CPs and the Workers'
Parties can and must further promote their co-ordination
and joint action on issues concerning working people's
rights and mainly the growth of the struggle for the
ideological and political emancipation of the working class
from bourgeois ideology and policies, from the machinery of
capitalist forces.

Let us stress, comrades , that only then will the labour
movement be able to broaden its alliances, to play a
leading role in the shaping of a strong pole standing
against the monopolies and imperialism, against the
domination of capitalist forces.

From the proposals made, we could pick out the following:
For a committee to be set up to elaborate a framework and
objectives
For a continuation of our meetings regarding our work in
the labour movement, with more specific issues on which
action should be co-ordinated.
For joint action to be taken against the US decision to
develop the anti-ballistic system. The co-ordination will
be expressed in May Day 2002 demonstrations, with the
demand that NMD not be deployed, along with other basic
aims of the working class struggle.