The Regional Court Suspends the Yesmoke “Embargo”

From Italy Worldwide

"Anti Big Tobacco" murals at Yesmoke cigarette factory in Settimo Torinese, Italy

On last January 14th, the second section of the Piemonte Regional Court (Tribunale Amministrativo Regionale -TAR), Judge Vincenzo Salamone presiding, suspended the action of the State Monopolies Administration (Amministrazione Autonoma Monopoli di Stato -AAMS), which from the 6th of December had blocked the shipment of goods from the fiscal deposit of Yesmoke. The final sentence is expected for the 8th of February.

With this decision of the TAR, Yesmoke is allowed to ship the cases of cigarettes it has accumulated in the plant to its customers around the world. And the company can take a breathing spell as it waits for the next battle.

The conflict between the ex-State Monopoly and Italy’s only remaining cigarette manufacturer reached its climax on the 6th of December, when the factory’s workers stood up against the injunction of the AAMS (delivered by dozens of policemen in anti-riot gear) to halt the machinery and affix seals to the plant because the requested caution deposit had not been provided. Since that event, occupied by its workers, the company has continued its production, three shifts a day, without interruptions even on Christmas Day and New Year’s, stacking up its finished products in the plant.

Useless was a discussion table at the AAMS in Rome on January 12th, with the presence of the Member of Parliament Stefano Esposito of the PD (Democratic Party) and Councilor Claudia Porchietto of the PDL (Liberty Party), where Yesmoke was given an ultimatum of 15 days to provide the requested deposit or risk losing its license.

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