The Press Office of the CC of the KKE issued the following statement regarding the explosion at the Violanta biscuit factory in Trikala (Thessaly) on 26 January 2026.
“The explosion at the Violanta factory in Trikala, which tragically claimed the lives of five female workers and injured seven others —almost the entire night shift— confirms once again that the country’s working class pays a heavy human toll in the struggle to earn a daily wage.
In 2025 alone, at least 201 people lost their lives at work due to overwork, the lack of necessary safety and health measures, and the absence of inspections by the competent state authorities, setting a grim new record.
The KKE demands that all critical questions regarding the causes of the fire and explosion must be answered immediately and transparently, without any cover-ups or crocodile tears about ‘bad timing’, and that all those responsible for the crime be held accountable. It should be recalled that the Trikala Labour Centre had repeatedly intervened and submitted complaints demanding measures to protect workers’ health, safety, and lives in local factories, including the Violanta factory.
The KKE expresses its condolences to the families and co-workers of the deceased and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured. The true tribute to the victims’ memory is to strengthen the struggle of workers in all workplaces for the full implementation of safety measures against the policy that sacrifices workers’ rights, health, and even their lives on the altar of capitalist profit.”
It should be noted that the Trikala Labour Centre, whose warnings about inadequate safety measures in local factories were ignored by the government, immediately organized a protest rally and is calling a strike on 27 January. In addition, the Federation of Milk, Food, and Beverage Trade Unions has announced a nationwide strike in all food production factories on 3 February.
