Since the restart of the factory, in 13/02/2013, this time in workers’ hands, one of our basic demands was “power supply in our name – water supply in our name”.
In every meeting with the Minister of Labour, alongside with the demand for legalization, the basic requirement we were putting was the full restoration of power, water and gas in the name of the cooperative.
In every solidarity caravan, which was ending up to the Ministry of Labour, the most crucial of our demands was power to the Cooperative of Workers’ in VIOME!
During a visit of the former Minister of Solidarity-Based Economy, Antonopoulou, in which she proposed us money through a European program, we refused, saying that if you want to help, do something in order for us to have power supply.
In the last struggle and solidarity caravan, back in June 2015, where we squatted in front of the Ministry – being attacked and teargased by the police – our demands were: power, water and gas to VIOME and full legalization.
In every case, that we had the opportunity, we, the workers of VIOME COOP, didn’t stop to protest for our power supply, that will be charged and paid by the Cooperative; and that we won’t take the responsibility for the debts that the bosses created – indeed among these debts we, the workers, were also included.
The former government, without asking us, took initiatives which were charging VIOME COOP with the exorbitant contract that the mother company has signed with the power supplier, without notifying us and without even spending some time to craft a new contract, in which at least would have been our insurance number on it, so that we will had the chance to charge it in our expenditures and had the corresponding tax exemptions.
The current government, given the chance of the coronavirus curfew, came during the night alongside with riot police, and taking advantage of the actions of the previous government, cut of the power, advocating that the debt is all on us.
We took action in order to regain supply, using every possible contact that we have in parliament, and they promised us that they will reconnect the power, but first we will have to acknowledge part of the previous debt. We were thinking about acknowledging part of this debt, although by proving the same time, the real amount of power that we consume. We even came with a proposal, in which we included a bank guarantee of 2.000€ for the upcoming power bills.
Their stance was to technically postpone any solution by not giving us any certain answer regarding our demand, refusing a “new customer” of the heavily indebted State Electricity Company (DEI), as they say, although we do acknowledge part of the debt that someone else has created (!).
These are the facts, as we, the workers, have recorded them and we make the public for the solidarity movement and the society.
In solidarity,
Workers in VIOME COOP
Κανένα προϊόν στο καλάθι σας. 