The former employees of the Alicoop Group, who the day before yesterday formed an association to defend their interests, will demonstrate at the door of the office of EuroBIC, in Faro, to protest against the “persecution” of which they say they are targeted by that banking institution.
It will be a "fighting action", "without disorder", just to assert the views of former workers from whom that bank continues to demand payment of the "loan made in 2008 to help the Alicoop company", even disrespecting the decision of the court, in accordance with the insolvency plan approved and ratified on February 21, 2012.
At the meeting held on Wednesday night at the Grupo Desportivo e Cultural do Enxerim, in Silves, with the participation of around 130 former workers, the creation of ALGA – Association of the Injured of Grupo Alicoop was also approved.
Sérgio Catarino, who was elected president of ALGA, explained: "the association is a vehicle for defending ourselves, but also for raising funds for whatever comes next."
In the session, which was very popular and participated, despite the fact that the Portugal-Switzerland game was still taking place at the same time, it was also decided to entrust the defense of the former workers to the law firm of Garcia Pereira.
Luís Bandarra, member of the Alicoop Ex-Workers' Committee, announced that hearings had already been requested "to all mayors", namely those in municipalities where there are older workers affected, such as Albufeira and Loulé. The Chamber of Silves, where the company was based, has been following the process since its inception.
"We also want to reach the president of AMAL", but the dream, he said, "is to reach the prime minister and the President of the Republic."
“We are not just 246 workers affected. There are 246 families! And the President of the Republic cannot only be in solidarity with the victims of the fires”, he affirmed.
«These 246 families affected by this drama will not be silent and they will not give up until this problem is resolved», he guaranteed.
“Nobody imagined that, ten years later, a group of workers from a company that had already gone bankrupt would be able to organize to fight, because they are being victims of an injustice, because of a loan that was not ours. This fight will only be won if we remain united», added Luís Bandarra.
Teresa Ramos is one of the cases of former employees of the Alicoop/Alisuper Group who, in 2008, agreed to guarantee loans in their personal name to try to save the company, which was already in a difficult situation. In your case, as revealed to the Sul Informação, the loan was in the amount of 9 euros, but the debt already reaches 11 thousand.
“For me, it's been a bit difficult. As I now have a company, with my son, the banks have not made our life easier. We have had the help of a bank, with which we have been working for many years, because others have closed the door on us», added Teresa Ramos.
Despite everything, and thanks to the steps that have been taken, the situation is now better than it was a few months ago, when many of the former workers were faced with pledges. Paulo Martins, member of the Ex-Workers Committee, explained to our newspaper: "we managed to get them to remove the pledges, which are no longer happening, and last month they took our name off the Bank of Portugal default list."
But even so, ex-Alicoop workers have no rest. The EuroBIC delivered in court “an 800-page declarative action to try to justify that the debt is ours. And more: EuroBIC is not complying with a court decision: in 2012, in insolvency, it was proven and the court decided that the debt was not ours, but that of the NF. But the bank is coming to get the money from us, from these more than 200 families, because we are more fragile», lamented Paulo Martins.
Photos: Elisabete Rodrigues | Sul Informação
Comments