Bourgeois counterrevolution, occurred in the USSR, generates bewilderment even in people with right-wing views. How Russians could allow that? Why, the socialist camp was the only guarantor of the peace on the Earth. For us, who are children of Greek Resistance fighters and for whom the USSR had become the second motherland, the tragedy of socialist countries peoples, especially the tragedy of the Soviet people, is a non-healing wound. We can see people, after plants and fabrics to be closed as a result of being appropriated by small group of bourgeoisie, emigrating from their once great country to Western Europe for better life.

Today, in the EU countries, there are living 44 million immigrants, including 2 millions in Greece. 350 thousands of these 2 millions come from republics of the former Soviet Union and about 250 thousands from the former socialist countries of Eastern Europe. The situation with economic immigrants allows the ruling circles easily to realize such EU directives as abolition of 8-hour working day and labor agreement as well as adoption of "flexible working hours" statute.

Working conditions of economic immigrants are terrible, no matter whether they work at a great building site or small enterprise. Duration of working day is of 12 or even 16 hours without respective compensation for overtime. If the employer wants, Saturday and Sunday can be working days, otherwise those who refuse might be fired. Salary can be delayed for months. Level of labor safety is also low which is followed with growth of injuries, including fatal outcome events.

According to information given by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 5500 immigrants were subjected to "police check-up".

Wide protest of the Greek community was aroused in connection with information about repeating abductions and beating of Afghan immigrants in their residence territory or in police stations as well as the case on third-degree examination of twenty-eight Pakistanis. Some years ago you can see the raid against immigrants (the so-called "Broom operation"), when people were caught in the street and driven in enclosed stadiums and squares of Athens for their identification and papers to be checked up.

In connection with unfair treatment of immigrants and foreign workers, protest actions very often take place in Athens. Dozens of times, deputies of Greek Communist Party rose in the Parliament to question about situation with immigrants. Communists circled police stations where immigrants had been taken and demanded to set them free. In its declarations, Greek Communist Party more than once warned that "the aim of political massacres is intimidation of all working people both the Greek and foreigners. At first, punitive methods are tested on immigrants because they are most disenfranchised and exploited part of capitalist society". From the very beginning, Greek workers trade union stood up for defense of foreign workers rights. At great building sites (new aerodrome or Olympic constructions) joint strikes were organized. The trade union not only defends economic rights of immigrant-builders demanding equal payment for equal work, 8-hour working day and safety rules to be followed but also doesn't allow employers knock together workers of different nationalities and stir up nationalism or racism.

Annual Festival of Friendship and Class Solidarity had been carried out since 2000. This festival is carried out by communists of the 5th and 6th districts of Athens where concentration of immigrants is greatest. In 2006, all-Greek association of political immigrants from the former socialist countries took part in the festival for the first time. The aim of our statement at meeting was a narration about socialist system and its advantages.

During the festival, workers discussed how to struggle for free education and health protection canceled in accordance with EU directives and how to struggle against unemployment. Leaflets distributed among the workers taught them how to behave when you happen to be in a police station. Chief of the World Trade Union Federation, member of the Central Committee of the Greek Communist Party, comrade Georgiy Mavricos began his speech from forever actual slogan: "Workers of the" whole world, unite!"