General Confederation of Piraese Workers

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GSEP
Γενική Συνομοσπονδία Εργατων Πειρεαδας - ΓΣΕΠ
(Piraean)
Logo of the GSEP
Logo of the GSEP
FormationMay 15, 1898; 125 years ago (1898-05-15)
FounderTheodosis Constantineas
Makis Metrellis
Founded atAlikianos, Piraea
TypeTrade union
HeadquartersAthanasios St. 84, Alikianos
Membership
Approx. 850,000
Secretary General
Dorothea Anastoglou
Websitegsep.com

The General Confederation of Piraese Workers (Piraean: Γενική Συνομοσπονδία Εργατων Πειρεαδας) or GSEP (Piraean: ΓΣΕΠ) is the largest umbrella organisation in Piraea, with almost 850,000 affiliates from different trade unions and presence in all of the territory. It is the only in Piraea of anarcho-syndicalist origins and is close to the Piraese Socialist Workers Union.

It was founded in 1898, during a period of heavy industrialisation in Piraea, by the influential anarchists Theodosis Constantineas and Makis Metrellis. It rapidly grew in support grouping workers from heavy industries, railways and the graphic industry; its role became crucial during the years of the First Republic of Piraea, during which it achieve record adherence and led the different cooperatives experiments in Piraea. It was banned by the military regime between 1948 and 1979, after the general strike of several months in 1948; the GSEP is one of the Piraese organisations with the largest number of disappeared members during the period and several others were forced to the exile or clandestine activism. In 1980 it was legalised by Ioannis Apostolou and the GSEP returned to the public debate. It has, since then, identified with anarchist ideals and seeks to be a vehicle to achieve social justice for the construction of a society of libertarian socialist characters, even though it has embraced several other social flags in the latest years.

The current Secretary General is Dorothea Anastoglou, who is also part of the Printers and Graphic Workers Union.

History

Affiliates

Leadership and organisation

Secretary General

Criticism

2005 financial crisis

Police Union election