Assassination attempt on the 22/12, at 12 midnight, in front of the house of
Konstantina Kouneva, general secretary of the Attica Union of Cleaners and
domestic workers, which has 1700 members. Unknown persons dropped acid (of
unknown type as yet) on the face, head and shoulder of the 42 year woman,
who was immediately transported in hospital by ambulance, and she is since
in the intensive care unit where doctors are fighting first for her life,
and secondly, if she survives (as we all of course hope and wish) for
reparation of face and basic functions. One of her eyes is considered
totally destroyed, for the other there are chances.
The bigest employer of the workforce covered by this union, is a contractor
(outsourcing) for cleaning in huge companies, like the city trains (HSAP)
and the Hellenic Vehicles Industry (EVO) and perhaps others.
This employer is employing 900 workers in all, which means is a big company,
on terrible conditions of flexible, short hours work, fraud in insurance
stamps and contravention of laws about working hours. Terrorisation of the
workforce has been denounced by this union to the Ministry of Labour, Work
Inspection Service, the General Confederation of Labour, the Labout Centre
of Athens etc, but to no avail. There is also another union in this work
area, to serve the interests of the employer.
All the members of the Union board have been terrorised by the employer for
years, and despite the denounciations of the Union and the information to
the public companies for which the sub-contractor was working, there was no
intervention for improvement of working conditions.
The board of the Union considers that this assassination attempt comes from
the side of unknown employers in the area of cleaning, who had interest in
terrorising the union.
After the Christmas holidays the struggle for the right of the precarious
workers to full unionisation will be at the top of the movement’s agenda,
after this extreme and incredible attack.
The students and pupils have cancelled until the end of the holidays most of
the occupations, but the movement will continue after the hilidays. The next
big appointment is on the 9th of January, when a big rally and protest of
the education world and is planned in Athens and other cities.
Best wishes
Sissy Vovou
Greek Social Forum