KOSICE, August 25, (WEBNOVINY) — Only four shift foremen and four part-time workers came to work on the Wednesday morning shift in companies KALI AGRO and SLO.VI in Hencovce, where a strike for higher wages was announced from Tuesday afternoon. „There is a strike patrol in front of the factory. Together with the chairman of trade union KOVO (OZ KOVO) Emil Machyna, we were there since early morning, and we saw only four shift foremen and four past-time workers go to work. We lodged a motion with the National Labor Inspectorate, and the complaint to the court asking for an injunction, which would prohibit the factories to employ strikebreakers, new people, because it is against the law,“ the member of the OZ KOVO Jozef Balica said.
The situation between striking employees and employers sharpened to the extent that the trade unionists had to call the police. The strike patrols blocked the entrance to the factory. Italian owner Mirko Bernuzzi could not get into the factory, so he is alleged to have rammed the striking workers with his car. “We called the police immediately,” Balica told SITA. The police came and began to investigate the matter. The strike will continue until the employer agrees to increase wages, stated Balica who added that 98 percent of the total 390 employees entered the strike. „No one from the production, not even the foremen came to work in the afternoon shift, the bus came empty,” Balica said.
The average net wage in the textile companies stands at EUR 260, which represents gross wage of EUR 320. Trade unionists have been negotiating a collective agreement with the employer since March.
SITA