On Monday, June 19 the Union of Commerce workers in Giannena and the workers in SUPERMARKET Market In celebrated the announcement of the final justification of the 6-year long struggle of 11 workers, with their union, who were reinstated to their jobs starting July 1st, with backpay and insurance rights since 2017.
Since 2017, the workers of Market In have been fighting a hard struggle, with protest mobilisations, with picket lines outside the store or solidarity meetings outside the courtrooms. But they never stopped fighting with the support of the class unions and the Regional Trade Union Center of Giannena and a large number of people, against the employers.
The employer had launched an industry of lawsuits and arrests, used the assistance and support of the Governments, state repression and even thugs to intimidate the workers. In one month alone, in November 2017, under the SYRIZA government, Market In filed more than 30 lawsuits, 17 arrests were made, while 4 members of the Regional Trade Union Center of Giannena leadership, 3 union presidents and dozens of other trade unionists were dragged to court. Among them Nikos Exarchos, president of the Regional Trade Union Center of Giannena.
Against all these attacks, the workers won 5 court trials and with continuous pressure succeeded into the employer reinstating them. As one of the workers said
“It was our pressure, our struggle that made it all happen, our solidarity. This is the example that the workers must see for the next day. Because only the people can save the people. We will fight for what belongs to us, for workers to live with dignity, for work with rights. That is the hope. That is the message of this victory. A bravo to all the workers, to all the unions, to all those who stood by us.”