Greek Government Cuts Power to Worker-Run Factory in Midst of Pandemic
[en español] Thessaloniki, Greece – Under the cover of darkness at 6:30 a.m. on Monday morning, two vehicles of riot police along with the Public Power Corporation cut the power to the occupied worker-run factory of Vio.Me.
“Everyone to VioMe! They cut the power!” was posted on Vio.Me.’s Facebook page.
At a time when the coronavirus pandemic is devastating Greece’s neighbor Italy and the country’s healthcare system is in dire need of basic supplies, the right-wing Greek government has prioritized suppressing a factory that is producing eco-friendly cleaning products and soaps.
In 2016, the government attempted to cut off the power at 9 a.m. but were thwarted by the workers and supporters who quickly showed up.
This time, Greeceâs New Democracy government used the country’s pandemic lockdown to their advantage. Greeks are required to inform authorities if they leave their home, and are only permitted to do so for essential activities. This has cut off Vio.Me. from acts of physical solidarity from the broader community, leaving them vulnerable to the actions of the government.
Though the factory is technically not legal, the workers who are operating inside of the three buildings have made consistent efforts to legally obtain the space. They are currently in the process with the Ministry of Labor for full legalization.
Seven years ago, Vio.Me. workers seized the means of production after their bosses stopped paying them. They occupied several buildings of the large factory and have since built a solidarity movement that sustains their self-managed cooperative.
The workers also initiated the Workers’ Healthcare Center, which opened in January 2016. The center provides a radical new approach to healthcare. Equal relations between specialists and patients are reclaimed and the center provides free holistic healthcare services to the broader community in Greeceâs second largest city, Thessaloniki.
After their power was cut, the workers of Vio.Me. are now seeking generators from the community. They published the following statement:
“The vampires of power acting in the dark found the ârightâ moment to cut off the power of the self-managed factory of Vio.Me. at 6:30 in the morning 30/3/20. They had the crane ready and with the support of 2 SWAT squads, which means a political command, they functioned like the Greek governments of the 50s who executed the fighters in the dark so that the people would not react. We also denounce the PPC âcolleaguesâ who collaborated as executors in the same act.
We demand the immediate reconnection of the power supply.
And all this while we are in the process with the Ministry of Labor for the full legalization of self-managed factory of Vio.Me.
And while they know that we produce personal and home hygiene products, which are of primary importance to society.
In solidarity.
â Vio.Me Workers”
[UPDATE – April 13, 2020] On April 9, VioMe posted a video showing the production of lavender liquid soap. With the support of the community, a generator allows the workers to continue production.
Last year we brought you inside the worker-run Vio.Me. facility in our three-part video series. We spoke with five of the workers, took a tour of the factory, gained a deeper perspective and history of Vio.Me. from the workers, and a had sit-down with Dimitra, a psychologist in Vio.Me.’s autonomous and open-to-the-public Workers Healthcare Center.
Please consider a tax-deductible donation to help sustain our horizontally-organized, non-profit media organization:
Gobierno Griego corta energĂa elĂ©ctrica a fĂĄbrica gestionada de los trabajadores en medio de la pandemia
TesalĂłnica, Grecia- Actuando en la oscuridad, a las 6:30am el lunes de la mañana, dos vehĂculos de policĂa antidisturbios, junto con la CompañĂa PĂșblica de EnergĂa, cortaron la energĂa elĂ©ctrica de la fĂĄbrica autogestionada de Vio.Me que fue ocupada con trabajadores.
âTodos de VioMe! Nos cortaron la energĂa! â fue publicado en la pĂĄgina de facebook de Vio.Me.
En un momento en el que la pandemia del coronavirus estĂĄ devastando al paĂs vecino de Grecia, Italia, y el sistema de salud griego necesita urgentemente suministros bĂĄsicos, el gobierno de derecha ha decidido dar prioridad a la represiĂłn de una fĂĄbrica que elabora productos de limpieza y jabones amigables con el medio ambiente.
En el 2016, el gobierno intentĂł cortar la energĂa elĂ©ctrica a las 9am pero fueron interceptados por los trabajadores y gente solidaria, quienes llegaron rĂĄpidamente a la fĂĄbrica.
Esta vez, el gobierno griego del partido Nueva Democracia utilizĂł el confinamiento por la pandemia para su beneficio. Los griegos tienen que avisar a las autoridades si salen de su hogar y sĂłlo pueden salir para actividades esenciales. Esto ha dejado a Vio.Me sin los actos fĂsicos de solidaridad de la comunidad, poniendo a los trabajadores en una situaciĂłn de vulnerabilidad ante las acciones del gobierno.
A pesar de que técnicamente la fåbrica no es legal, los trabajadores que operan dentro de los tres edificios han llevado a cabo esfuerzos constantes para obtener legalmente el espacio. Actualmente estån en proceso de obtener la legalización completa con el Ministerio del Trabajo.
Hace siete años, los trabajadores de Vio.Me tomaron los medios de producción después de que sus patrones les dejaron de pagar. Ocuparon varios edificios de la gran fåbrica y desde entonces, construyeron un movimiento de solidaridad que sostiene la cooperativa autogestionada.
Los trabajadores tambiĂ©n comenzaron el Centro de Salud de los Trabajadores, que abriĂł en enero del 2016. El centro tiene un enfoque nuevo y radical de cuidado de la salud. Se reivindican relaciones horizontales entre especialistas y pacientes y el centro proporciona cuidado gratuito y holĂstico de la salud para la comunidad en general, en la segunda ciudad mĂĄs grande de Grecia, TesalĂłnica.
DespuĂ©s del corte de energĂa elĂ©ctrica, lxs trabajadorxs se encuentran en busca de generadores elĂ©ctricos entre la comunidad. Publicaron la siguiente declaraciĂłn:
âLos vampiros del poder, actuando en la oscuridad, encontraron el momento âcorrectoâ para cortar la energĂa elĂ©ctrica de la fĂĄbrica autogestionada Vio.Me. a las 6:30 de la mañana 30/3/20. TenĂan la grĂșa lista y con el apoyo de 2 escuadrones âSWATâ (un comando polĂtico) funcionaron como los gobiernos griegos de los 50s, que ejecutaban a los combatientes en la oscuridad para que la gente no reaccionara. TambiĂ©n denunciamos a los âcolegasâ del PPC que colaboraron como ejecutores en el mismo acto.
Demandamos la inmediata reconexiĂłn de la fuente de alimentaciĂłn.
Todo esto ocurre mientras estamos en proceso con el Ministerio del Trabajo para la legalizaciĂłn completa de la fĂĄbrica autogestionada Vio.Me.
Y mientras saben que fabricamos productos de limpieza personal y del hogar, que son de
importancia primordial para la sociedad.En solidaridad.
â Trabajadorxs de Vio.Meâ
[ACTUALIZACIĂN – 13 de abril de 2020] El 9 de abril, VioMe publicĂł un video que muestra la producciĂłn de jabĂłn lĂquido de lavanda. Con el apoyo de la comunidad, un generador permite a los trabajadores continuar con la producciĂłn.
El año pasado lxs llevamos dentro de las instalaciones de la autogestionada Vio.Me. en nuestra serie de tres videos. Platicamos con cinco de los trabajadores, tomamos un tour de la fĂĄbrica, adquirimos una perspectiva mĂĄs profunda de Vio.Me y de su historia y nos sentamos a platicar con Dimitra, psicĂłloga en el Centro de Salud de Trabajadores de Vio.Me, centro autĂłnomo y abierto al pĂșblico.
Unicorn Riot's COVIDâ19 Coverage:
- âBrazil is Asking for Helpâ â Artists and Activists Speak Out - April 10, 2021
- Brazilian Pandemonium: COVID-19 Kills Over 300K - March 27, 2021
- COVID-19 Deaths in Minnesota Prisons Continue to Rise - February 17, 2021
- Brazil Nears 200K Deaths as Politicians Continue to Downplay COVID-19 - December 20, 2020
- Winter of Coronavirus: Seeking Shelter in Minneapolis During COVIDâ19 - December 14, 2020
- Denver Sweeps 300+ Tent Encampment Residents - November 30, 2020
- Unhoused Community Forms Tenants Union, Constituents Protest at Commissionerâs Home - November 11, 2020
- Minneapolis Prioritizing Park Sweeps Over Sheltering the Unhoused - October 29, 2020
- Court Protest Aims at Boston Covid Housing Crisis - October 29, 2020
- Philly Starbucks Worker Delivers NLRB Unfair Labor Practice Complaint - October 15, 2020
- Demands Reignite for Releases from GEO ICE Jail Amid New Covid Outbreak - October 5, 2020
- Peavey Park Sanctuary Homeless Camp Evicted in Minneapolis - September 24, 2020
- New Month Brings Added Urgency To Minneapolisâ Housing Needs - September 2, 2020
- COVIDâ19 Testing DeMystified at Community-Informed Coronavirus Testing Site - August 29, 2020
- Sanctuary Camp Residents Pressured to Move, No Housing Solution In Sight - August 22, 2020
- Coronavirus, Corruption, and Resistance: Life Under South Africaâs Lockdown - August 17, 2020
- Authorities Visit Loring Park Tent Encampment, Bring Eviction Scare - August 10, 2020
- Minneapolis Park Police Displace Sanctuary Encampment - July 22, 2020
- Homeless Philadelphians Moving Into Vacant City-Owned Homes - June 22, 2020
- Encampment to âFree Them Allâ Outside GEO ICE Detention Center - May 26, 2020
- The Coronavirus Crisis in Brazil â An Interview with EmiciThug - May 22, 2020
- Nurses Picket Over Lack of Protection From Ongoing Viral Pandemic - May 21, 2020
- Mutual Aid to Detained Refugee Women Grows â Coronavirus in Greece Part 3 - May 7, 2020
- Minneapolis May Day Protest Supports Essential Workers - May 2, 2020
- MN Demonstrations, Demands to Free Prisoners Escalate - April 30, 2020
- Denver âClean-upsâ Displace 100+ Unhoused Residents Amid Health Crisis - April 30, 2020
- Worker-Occupied Factory Sends Soap to Refugee Camp â Coronavirus in Greece, Part 2 - April 28, 2020
- A Country Quarantined, Coronavirus in Greece Part 1 - April 25, 2020
- Whoâs Calling to âLiberate Minnesotaâ, and Why? - April 21, 2020
- Living with COVIDâ19 - April 17, 2020
- Philly Mayor and Judges Pressured To Release Inmates From Jail - April 15, 2020
- Calls for Rent and Mortgage Freeze Outside MN Legislature - April 14, 2020
- What Is Coronavirus and How Do Humans Defeat It? - April 10, 2020
- Car Protest Demands Philadelphia Officials Release Prisoners To Save Lives In Pandemic Crisis - April 10, 2020
- âCancel Rentâ Demo Calls for a Rent and Mortgage Payment Freeze as COVID-19 Spreads - April 9, 2020
- Coronavirus in the Caribbean: COVIDâ19 Update from Puerto Rico - April 2, 2020
- âNever Againâ Demo Demands Release of Detainees Amidst COVIDâ19 Pandemic - March 30, 2020
- South Africa Under Lockdown as COVIDâ19 Spreads - March 29, 2020
- Providing Mutual Aid Amidst the Coronavirus Pandemic in Minnesotaâs Twin Cities - March 27, 2020
- As U.S. Coronavirus Cases Top the World Charts, Minnesotansâ âStay at Homeâ Order Goes Into Effect - March 27, 2020
- âEveryone Deserves A Cost-Of-Living Adjustmentâ: Interview with UCSC Striker Yulia Gilich - March 26, 2020
- âReal boog hoursâ: Neo-Nazi Terror and the Coronavirus Crisis - March 20, 2020
- Coronavirus Concerns End St. Paul Educators Strike, Close Many Public Schools - March 14, 2020
