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
VIOME Contact/orders:
seviome@gmail.com
Support VIOME: https://power.viomecoop.com/
