Greek hospital now under workers' control

Health workers in Kilkis, Greece, have occupied their local hospital and have issued a statement saying it is now fully under workers control.

Submitted by working class … on February 5, 2012

The general hospital of Kilkis in Greece is now under workers control. The workers at the hospital have declared that the long-lasting problems of the National Health System (ESY) cannot be resolved.

The workers have responded to the regime’s acceleration of unpopular austerity measures by occupying the hospital and outing it under direct and complete control by the workers. All decisions will be made by a ‘workers general assembly’.

The hospital has stated that. “The government is not acquitted of its financial responsibilities, and if their demands are not met, they will turn to the local and wider community for support in every possible way to save the hospital defend free public healthcare, to overthrow the government and every neo-liberal policy.”

From the 6th February, hospital workers will only deal with emergencies until their wages, and monies owed have been paid. They are also demanding a return to wage levels prior to the implementation of austerity measures.

The next general assembly will take place on the 13th, and a related press conference will be given on the 15th.

The following statement has been issued by the workers:

1. We recognize that the current and enduring problems of Ε.Σ.Υ (the national health system) and related organizations cannot be solved with specific and isolated demands or demands serving our special interests, since these problems are a product of a more general anti-popular governmental policy and of the bold global neoliberalism.

2. We recognize, as well, that by insisting in the promotion of that kind of demands we essentially participate in the game of the ruthless authority. That authority which, in order to face its enemy - i.e. the people- weakened and fragmented, wishes to prevent the creation of a universal labour and popular front on a national and global level with common interests and demands against the social impoverishment that the authority's policies bring.

3. For this reason, we place our special interests inside a general framework of political and economic demands that are posed by a huge portion of the Greek people that today is under the most brutal capitalist attack; demands that in order to be fruitful must be promoted until the end in cooperation with the middle and lower classes of our society.

4. The only way to achieve this is to question, in action, not only its political legitimacy, but also the legality of the arbitrary authoritarian and anti-popular power and hierarchy which is moving towards totalitarianism with accelerating pace.

5. The workers at the General Hospital of Kilkis answer to this totalitarianism with democracy. We occupy the public hospital and put it under our direct and absolute control. The Γ.N. of Kilkis will henceforth be self-governed and the only legitimate means of administrative decision making will be the General Assembly of its workers.

6. The government is not released of its economic obligations of staffing and supplying the hospital, but if they continue to ignore these obligations, we will be forced to inform the public of this and ask the local government but most importantly the society to support us in any way possible for: (a) the survival of our hospital (b) the overall support of the right for public and free healthcare (c) the overthrow, through a common popular struggle, of the current government and any other neoliberal policy, no matter where it comes from (d) a deep and substantial democratization, that is, one that will have society, rather than a third party, responsible for making decisions for its own future.

7. The labour union of the Γ.N. of Kilkis will begin, from 6 February, the retention of work, serving only emergency incidents in our hospital until the complete payment for the hours worked, and the rise of our income to the levels it was before the arrival of the troika (EU-ECB-IMF). Meanwhile, knowing fully well what our social mission and moral obligations are, we will protect the health of the citizens that come to the hospital by providing free healthcare to those in need, accommodating and calling the government to finally accept its responsibilities, overcoming even in the last minute its immoderate social ruthlessness.

8. We decide that a new general assembly will take place, on Monday 13 February in the assembly hall of the new building of the hospital at 11 am, in order to decide the procedures that are needed to efficiently implement the occupation of the administrative services and to successfully realise the self-governance of the hospital, which will start from that day. The general assemblies will take place daily and will be the paramount instrument for decision making regarding the employees and the operation of the hospital.

We ask for the solidarity of the people and workers from all fields, the collaboration of all workers' unions and progressive organizations, as well as the support from any media organization that chooses to tell the truth. We are determined to continue until the traitors that sell out our country and our people leave. It's either them or us!
The above decisions will be made public through a news conference to which all the Mass Media (local and national) will be invited on Wednesday 15/2/2012 at 12.30. Our daily assemblies begin on 13 February. We will inform the citizens about every important event taking place in our hospital by means of news releases and conferences. Furthermore, we will use any means available to publicise these events in order to make this mobilization successful.

We call
a) Our fellow citizens to show solidarity to our effort,
b) Every unfairly treated citizen of our country in contestation and opposition, with actions, against his'/her's oppressors,
c) Our fellow workers from other hospitals to make similar decisions,
d) the employees in other fields of the public and private sector and the participants in labour and progressive organizations to act likewise, in order to help our mobilization take the form of a universal labour and popular resistance and uprising, until our final victory against the economic and political elite that today oppresses our country and the whole world.

Comments

Steven.

12 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Steven. on February 5, 2012

I just posted this to the news section as well! I have now removed that duplicate

Steven.

12 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Steven. on February 5, 2012

Is there mainstream confirmation of this anywhere?

Ed

12 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Ed on February 6, 2012

Damn, good on the Greek hospital workers! :)

NB: I think this has been the most shared libcom article since we started our facebook page!

Redwinged Blackbird

12 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Redwinged Blackbird on February 6, 2012

FUCK YEAH!!!!

francois

12 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by francois on February 6, 2012

Bravo,
this is great. I do think that's the correct way.
Support... from France

Malva

12 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Malva on February 6, 2012

This is awesome.

canIsggestsome…

12 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by canIsggestsome… on February 6, 2012

great to read, i think making a trip to Greece might be underway..

solidarity from Berlin

Anatta

12 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Anatta on February 6, 2012

Way to cheer me up on a Monday. :rb:

carlos trotta

12 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by carlos trotta on February 9, 2012

now is when the people need you most and you go on strike attending only emergencies. I do`t think that is the way. If people find it difficult to access doctors and hospitals because for neoliberalism health is a commodity and not a right ,by going on strike you are making things even more difficult for them!

plasmatelly

12 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by plasmatelly on February 9, 2012

This is blinding news! Good on them!

frodon

12 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by frodon on February 9, 2012

We all have to understand that your present situation in Greece is our future.
Yes,"a universal labour and popular front on a global level"has to be created on a big scale. Solidarity from Belgium!

Shorty

12 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Shorty on February 10, 2012

carlos trotta

now is when the people need you most and you go on strike attending only emergencies. I do`t think that is the way. If people find it difficult to access doctors and hospitals because for neoliberalism health is a commodity and not a right ,by going on strike you are making things even more difficult for them!

?!

You joined up to post this? I'm not sure if you're genuine, someone who's come across this article linked elsewhere and exhibiting the negative solidarity that seems to define so much contemporary internet commentary or that you're trolling?

working class …

12 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by working class … on February 15, 2012

http://internationalworkersassociation.blogspot.com/2012/02/usis-ait-national-federation-statement.html

Toms

12 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Toms on February 15, 2012

Edited out, too tired

working class …

12 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by working class … on February 28, 2012

UPDATE

http://libcom.org/blog/greek-hospital-under-workers-control-update-28022012

Steven.

7 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Steven. on February 15, 2017

Does anyone know what happened with this? Looking online I can find lots of posts about the takeover initially, but nothing later on about what transpired. Any info?

Gregory A. Butler

5 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Gregory A. Butler on January 21, 2019

Apparently that workers control was short lived

https://www.pedtrauma.gr/en/targets-menu-en/general-hospital-of-kilkis