FEDERATION TOBACCONISTS OF GREECE
(O.P.K.E.)
Koutarelia 74, 1st Floor, Volos
Tel-FAX 24210-32780 kin.6934832876
www.oebem.gr, email: oebemg@gmail.com
Doc. Ref .: 517 BOLOS 27/08/2011
TO STEERING COMMITTEE
PRESS RELEASE
Dear Colleagues in the way they handle which your colleagues are not trying to make unity and rallying the industry, but instead create rift in the industry section. It seems that the author of the Greek Kiosk text tries to mislead the industry colleagues only impressions for his own purposes. Colleagues should know that the games are not online but in practice. I come to this editorial and the video on August 26, 2011.
1. After our meeting in Athens with the Ministry went out on all channels and said the results of the meeting we had and certainly not presented anything of my specific interviews. We committed to boycott the financial cigarettes is less than 3.5% and all 25aria cigarette packages from August 1st, 2011 in order to push the tobacco manufacturers and importers to quickly increase their margins again not presented anything nor our communications nor and from my interviews.
2.Where August 25, 2011 in another publication of Greek Kiosk entitled to rally the industry is not virtual but real, no one realizes that the relevance of the text have selective memory about what the author says, for example, the coordinating body not established balances to ensure trade union or reconciliation of the industry, also reported untrue that for a half year the problems of the industry were in the hands of senior trade union without adversely solutions.
• The big problem created by the reduction in cigarette profit rates began on January 19, 2010 by significantly increasing the proportional tax. From 09 February to 25 May we held four major strikes culminating in the great hunger strike on May 25 in Larisa out of the Deputy Minister’s office K. Sachinidi and sole striker Mr. Costa Kogias and with the support of the participating compounds had. Up to that time the government have refused stubbornly to open any dialogue. But of course before we descend to mobilize ensure support 175 primary and secondary tertiary union of all the branches and guarantor President of ESEE Mr. Dimitri Asimakopulos on May 26 we had the presence of all the industry associations and we exposed our major concerns. One must understand that the great difficulty factors facing our industry is the government and the tobacco industry.
• The government in its attempt to get money from the IMF Okay excise duty under the Agreement signed. And of course he continued to put new taxes and in EXCISE resulting in late 2010 to take 85.7% of the overall charge of each cigarette packet substantially reducing the profit margins of all.
• The tobacco companies and importers in turn in order not to lose market share instead realize increase in cigarette packet prices lowered prices dramatically and substantially narrowed the margins to our colleagues.
In all then we informed all political parties, colleagues of regulated and non-unions, consumer society, we informed the media, along with the great efforts of almost all primary our clubs throughout the country, which held protests, issued notices submitted written statements and held a series of interventions at local and national level, etc. and with the contribution of all 22 current questions tabled in Greek Parliament, while we had other big strikes culminating in the great strike on October 22, 2010 and the hunger strike in Syntagma Square and Metropolis. With the participation of the Hellenic race steering committee and the participating associations and hunger striker Mr. Costa Kogias and with the support of colleagues of the Steering Committee Athens struggle, and all the territory of colleagues. Where on October 26 in the presence of all stakeholders in the industry but Mr. Panagiotis Lafazani Parliamentary representative SYRIZA committed the Government to a reduction of the proportional tax. Until then had held two gatherings of all stakeholders in the Ministry of Economy and Finance in the presence of manufacturers of Import Companies – Gas Station Owners Representatives and our colleagues Peripterouchon tobacconists. On December 14 in the tax bill was reducing the proportional tax by two percentage points from 67% to 65% and of course committed the tobacco industry that this decline will turn into profit for our colleagues. Since then the two units of the proportional tax never reached the hands of colleagues pushed the government and we and everyone colleague how to bring Government bill which stipulated in Article 47 of Law. 3943/01/04/2011 that 31, 3% of apoforologimenis price will go to our colleagues. But because there was a bill in the safeguard of punishment and fines by station owners preferred the total contempt. For these efforts to fight O.P.K.E. sent 516 protocols incoming and outgoing documents, and of course more so perhaps above sent all participating associations across the country, and colleagues of the steering committee race in Athens.
So the reset of everything is false and based on selective memory.
3.The meeting for the establishment of a coordinating body decided unanimously that any text will see the light of day first sent and then published. To date texts published without even being there even a phone contact. In our meeting I stated boldly that I do not care no chair because for 45 years I give a daily battle for survival not only for our industry but for all SMEs.
Also worth doing a little report for my last years in civic events industry.
• With the reeling and the concurrence of existing institutions or primary unions of the industry managed to lay the foundations of this industry, in this long path every colleague put his own pebble, both for existing leases, stay until the end of the contract us after the death of the beneficiary, the legislative text products on sale, the legislative determination of outlets, the dimensions of the stands, health provision, ads, extensions of tents, their shared s premises and municipal decisions, the protection of minors from tobacco etc. up establishing supplier of consumer cooperative in 1997 and to date has not established other sectoral Cooperative etc. All these years we have tried to activate the primary unions across the country with concurrence of at sites Associations of tradesmen, trying to have a voice in decision making bodies such as Chambers, the G.S.E.V.E.E Mr. a. So then General aphorism and the depreciation of everything does not fit in our industry, and we naturally first concern should be how to build across the country primary unions and then Federations and not try to dismantle the existing associations in name a Coordinating Body. The coming years are quite difficult and you accept stifling pressure to be shrinking business in a coordinated effort extermination of all professions. In this effort played an important role and exerted government policies, the privileges granted them and with the financial support given to them to enforce the rules of globalization with polymorphic polymorphic sites stores.
Dear Colleagues, if you do not understand that the only way left is the unity and rallying all around the common problems of the industry, then both the state and the tobacco industry will try in one way or another way to cause problems. The practice of divide and rule is not helping anyone instead needs a united front to cope with reality. When no one understands that everything happening is organized extermination plan of both the industry and other small businesses, when there is called up, the logic then we and the results can not be expected. Failing a single line with a single motion nobody but nobody can take you seriously. Our power sector has not only the advantage of the benefit. Everyone is trying in his own way to express the proposal. We believe that the many voices or suggestions can win anything? He believes that the time spent by many different suggestions have helped the sector? Believing that there is the luxury of mutual extermination of existing trade bodies? Believing he can win something without a collectivity without unity without coiling without concurrence, without enlisting, without introducing a single sentence? there instead of these rivalries have to shed all water in their wine and their youthful flare to been reached one and only target the viability of the industry, how our colleagues will remain in their businesses, how to not become unemployed, the how we will not allow anyone to destroy us. And of course you need to restore the lost confidence of all our colleagues who are in the industry. My recommendations continue to ask the Ministry
the full implementation of the Law. 3943/01/04/2011 and the safeguards
the punishment and fines, the final discharge from the closure. Not for the tobacco industry and importers recommend the full implementation of the Law, and a decrease from 60.4% to 50% to 55% of apoforologimenis price.
Such is my position and views on the industry so many years I serve
I tabled our initial meeting, but I find that the following practices are not in the direction of the broader rallying and unity of the industry. I can not participate in a coordinating body with no respect for elected bodies of primary, secondary and tertiary union. My participation was mainly in the direction of support and effective assistance in order to have a definitive solution to the impasse that has come our industry. If the coordinating body go to the original thought respecting the autonomy of each institution then I’m willing to help. Never supported efforts had not driven section of the industry. My presence over the years was the sole purpose of the interests of fellow alone. Besides, most of our colleagues are well aware of my character. Colleagues each our colleague can freely express its views on the major problems of the industry enough to be in the direction in the interests of our colleagues, after all this is the beauty of free speech in the Peoples Republic.
With Best regards.
President O.P.K.E
Costas Kogias