MANESIS AGAINST THE UNION AND THE PIONEERING WORKERS
Using out-of-court notices and provocations, the employer attempts to impose a regime of intimidation
He is engaged in an escalating orgy of intimidating practices ahead of a meeting between a large trade union and Steelworkers delegation and the administration of the Hellenic Labour Inspectorate (SEPE)
Using out-of-court notices, verbal provocations by former strikebreakers and managerial staff, intimidating practices and arbitrary assignment of duties not related to the workers’ specialisation, the owner of Greek Steelworks, N. Manesis, is attempting to demoralise the members of the steelworkers’ union governing body (GB) and several other workers who played a leading role in the 9-month strike.
The workers returned to their posts but the employer did not stop his -utterly unsuccessful- efforts to isolate the union’s GB members and Giorgos Sifonios in particular from the rest of the workers of Greek Steelworks. First he forbade the members of the governing body to walk around the workplace, by way of a personal order issued by the manager of the plant. Moreover, the union’s GB members were practically not allowed to go to their regular posts. Initially their posts were changed and they were assigned different duties, and then they were given the order to go to the union office and remain there until further notice.
On Monday, the workers were asked to work until 5.30pm instead of 2.30pm, i.e. the end of the morning shift, on the grounds they had clocked on at 9.30am, although this was due to the police presence at the gates and inside the factory. At that point the workers’ trust in the union’s governing body was more than evident. As soon as the GB members approached the workers and urged them to leave their posts at the usual time -as they were not in the least responsible for the three-hour delay- the vast majority of the workers responded positively and clocked out at 2.30 pm as usual, despite the managers threatening them to deduct three hours worth of pay from their wages.
The out-of-court notices sent by Manesis: a monument of lies and distortions
Rife with fabrications, the out-of-court notice sent by the employer yesterday to all members of the union’s governing body says: “...following the suspension of the strike, you persistently and unjustifiably refused to carry out the work assigned to you, whereas your overall behavior caused problems in the smooth and unhindered operation of the plant.
Whereas the above-mentioned refusal and your overall behavior constitute a breach of our agreement and the law, we request that you carry out the work assigned to you and refrain from causing problems to the smooth operation of the plant. Otherwise we intend to make use of all the remedies available under our agreement and the law”.
In a letter sent the day before yesterday to the workers’ union along similar lines, the employer of Greek Steelworks claimed that “the suspension of the strike is only a pretext”. In addition, a notice was served by a court bailiff to many workers asking them to visit the Aspropyrgos Police Station and receive information about the content of the allegations made against them in accordance with the Criminal Code.
Meeting between Steelworkers/ trade union representatives and the Hellenic Labour Inspectorate (SEPE)
Facing such an orgy of intimidating and arbitrary practices, the governing body of the Steelworkers’ Union along with a large delegation comprising trade union representatives from the Athens, Piraeus and Elefsina Labour Centres, the Athens, Piraeus and Thriasio Metalworkers’ Trade Unions, the Panhellenic Federation of Metalworkers, the Unions of the Private Sector Workers, the Shop Workers, the Private Health Sector Workers etc., met with Mihalis Halaris, secretary of the Labour Inspection Body at midday yesterday and formally complained about the orgy of intimidating and arbitrary actions practiced at the factory.
Mihalis Halaris promised to call for a labour dispute three-party meeting next week and to send a mixed team to inspect the health and safety conditions at the plant.
Then the delegation requested a meeting with Giannis Vroutsis, the Minister for Labour, who had promised to meet the workers in a telephone conversation with Giorgos Sifonios, leader of the union’s governing body, yesterday morning; however, later at midday the Minister’s head of office said that the Minister was having successive meetings and could not meet the workers.
On top of that, the Minister’s head of office asked the trade unionists to follow a certain procedure that was of course dismissed as ridiculous. Instead of arranging for an appointment with him and the Ministry secretariat immediately, the representatives were actually requested to leave and then call at the office to arrange for a new appointment!
The Governing Board of the Greek Steelworks Union
“The factory is not a concentration camp”
Extracts from the Steelworkers’ reply to Manesis’ lies
In their reply to the out-of-court notice and the letter sent by Manesis to the Union, the governing body of the Greek Steelworks Union pointed out among other things:
“This constitutes a monument of lies and a distortion of truth, by which you try to intimidate the GB members and the workers, prepare the ground to crush the union and impose a regime of fear and arbitrary practices at the workplace.
It is widely known in Greece that when the union’s GB members and the workers arrived on time in order to get into the factory and work on Monday morning, we faced an extraordinary situation. Three riot police vans and hundreds of policemen in full armour were stationed at the factory gates preventing us from entering the factory. It is infuriating to deny that the workers were prevented from getting into the factory when this was broadcast by the media all over the country. The police would not have behaved in this way if your company had not provided its support or at least its consent.
Unfortunately, the attempt of your company to terrorize the workers did not stop when we got into the factory. Many workers were assigned duties that did not match their specialisation; for instance you asked specialised technicians to sweep the factory floor. The invoked “right to give instructions” cannot be enforced arbitrarily, but only in accordance with the law –not martial regulations.
Moreover, the union’s GB members were forced to remain in their office guarded by scabs who used psychological violence and verbal abuse to prevent them from getting out. At the same time, your managers expressly forbade the GB members to visit the factory premises and monitor working conditions or check whether the health and safety regulations were observed.
You wish to intimidate the workers and avenge them for their struggle
Your company has evidently mounted an operation to prepare the ground for removing any protection that the GB members have as trade unionists and ultimately sack them and dissolve the union, because the union is the only means of safeguarding the interests of your factory workers. Your tactics as deployed these past two days show that your intention is to intimidate, avenge and punish the workers for their splendid strike struggle.
Once more, we declare that the plant is a workplace and not a concentration camp, and that your company does not have the right to implement arbitrary, terrorizing and despotic practices as supreme law. The union and its governing body have the obligation to protect the workers’ rights in accordance with the provisions of the labour law and regulations.
We request that you stop your illegal actions immediately; stop hampering the lawful trade union activities; respect the personality and rights of the workers.”
The Radical, 1 August 2012
Translated by: Effie A.
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