We denounce the multinational IT Company COMMSQUARE (of Belgian interests) for the illegal dismissal of the Secretary of Trade Union of Workers in Telecommunications and IT of Athens (SETIP), George Vassilakis.
After four years of employment, during which the company repeatedly sent the colleague to different countries as its representative, they suddenly decided that “the vision of the company does not fit with his performance”. In fact, they even brought from Belgium the general manager of the company Mr Stefan Engels to announce the dismissal personally! They went so far as to offer our colleague the double of the compensation in order to accept the dismissal!
From our side, therefore, we wish to inform Mr. General and the multinational he represents, that we know too much about the “visions” of the multinationals, we live those “visions” everyday, and certainly, those “visions” are against the interests of workers. We also wish to inform the multinational that SETIP because of its class orientation has faced with many attempts of blocking its trade union action, even to criminalize it. But such attempts do not scare us or terrorise us. In contrast with even more determination we will give the fight to defend our rights, conditions of work, to defend wages and free trade union action. Finally we wish to inform the multinational COMMSQUARE’s, Mr General who came from Belgium and his local sidekicks that the branch of the Law on trade union freedoms and rights (N.1264 / 82) has not changed yet! We understand that because the Greek Governement, the Troika with the policy implemented have emboldened the behaviour of the multinationals, that they give “earth and water” to the monopolies as their genuine representatives, but in our country nothing is settled. And even more we wish to inform them that the union leaders of PAME do not belong to the category of Unionists who compromise with the wishes of the employers.
Our colleague George Vassilakis has been Secretary of SETIP for the last three years and has played a vanguard role in the organization of action, not only for the colleagues in his workplace, but throughout the sector of IT and Telecommunications. As Secretary of SETIP he was at the forefront in the battles that we gave to defend jobs, rights, to demand Collective Contracts for employees in each company in our industry. He is a representative of the class trade union movement, of PAME and here, despite the negative correlation, we continue to fight! In any case, employer’s terrorism will break with our actions!
Such attacks always played the role of the precursor to the efforts of employers to abolish labour rights. We call on workers in this multinational, and all workers in the sector to condemn the attempt against trade union activity.
Athens, 21.10.14
