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Antenna: News in English, 96-10-31Antenna Radio News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Antenna Radio <http://www.antenna.gr> - email: antenna@compulink.grNews in English, of 31/10/1996TITLES
ECONOMYTrade unions and pensioners are unhappy with the government's economic plans for 1997. And both are planning strike action and protests next month. The economy minister says it will become harder for people to get civil service jobs, and people in work will find the going tougher too.Iannos Papantoniou plans to scrutinise wage increases more carefully next year. Despite the government's policy of wage raises in line with inflation, that is, of 8-10 per cent public sector pay jumped 14 per cent last year as a result of a number of special bonuses. Pay raises next year will also be inflation- linked: somewhere between 5 and 8 per cent. The unions are at odds with the government over pay. Pasok wants to make the starting public sector wage around 700 dollars a month. The unions want the minimum starting salarly to be 750 a month. The government wants a top salary of 18 hundred dollars a month. The unions are calling for a ceiling of 23 hundred. Unions also want changes in the income tax system. They want the tax-free income level raised from 6 thousand to 8 thousand dollars a year. They also want tax brackets restructured, so that pay increases aren't automatically taxed at the highest rate for the given income. Pensioners are also angry at the government's tight-fisted ways. Their representatives have already filed legal suits because they haven't been given a social solidarity bonus a[[rpved bu the government, but not included in the state insurance funds' budgets. Pensioners are also upset about the cost of medicine. The price of pharmaceutical drugs has risen an average of 400 per cent over the past few months. STEPHANOPOULOSThe government has come up with the money needed to take care of teacher shortages in the nation's schools. Sources say an extra 7 million dollars is being allocated to hire 2 thousand teachers for the current school year.The Greek president has denied reports that he is unhappy with the government. The denial followed press suggestions that Kostis Stephanopoulos feels the government doesn't brief him fully on foreign policy developments. Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas response when the reports broke, was to say that communication between the government and the president is fine. President Stephanopoulos's backed that up Wednesday, announcing that there are no problems between the president and the government. NDLast week's New Democracy central committee meeting ended with a fiery exchange between party president Miltiades Evert and one of his main opponents, Dora Bakoyianni.But sources close to Evert say he intends to keep things calm at the meeting of the party's MPs Thursday, keeping discussion focussed on how to opppose Pasok, and AWAY from internal issues related to his leadership of the party. New Democracy MP Yiannis Kefaloyiannis agrees with that. He says, "Our only enemy is the Pasok government and its policies". MP Giorgos Souflias ran against Evert for the party leadership after the September election defeat. He intends to try to win the leadership again at next June's party congress. On Thursday, he is expected to reiterate his call for local party organisation elections, to guarantee that the congress is representative of all tendencies in the party. Evert has so far rejected the call for party elections, and told Souflias and Bakoyianni to respect those in the party elected to their positions in accordance with the party charter ALBANIACharges of fraud in the recent local elections in Albania ended in the arrest of two ethnic Greeks, one of whom was beaten by the police.Greek-Albanian Vassilis Kalyvas, a former local official, was picked up by three Albanian police officers after he said there had been several instances of ballot fraud. The police arrested him at home, and detained him and his brother-in-law at the Delvinaki police station for ten hours. He was released when his brother-in-law gave the officers the equivalent of four thousand US dollars. Kalyvas wife Paraskevi, and election officer, also condemns what she calls serious election fraud. She says she's been told not to ask questions or make any statements about it. OLYMPIC WINNERSGreece's culture minister says Greece's Olympic medalists are the country's best ambassadors.Evangelos Venizelos had what he called a "pleasant" meeting with the members of the Greek Olympic Winners' Association Greek Olympic winners Association. Venizelos asked on the medalists to take part in organising events in Thessaloniki during the city's 1997 stint as European cultural capital. The culture minister announced that the Association will be allowed to hold all their activities in one of the buildings the ministry is constructing in central Athens. Association president Tassos Boudouris welcomes the opportunity provided by the building site. He says now everyone will be able to see what his organisation has to offer, athletically and culturally. MARATHONThe Greek police have some athletic events of their own on tap. They're hosting the 5th World Police Athletic Congress and the 4th World Police Marathon in Athens. Both events fall on the 100th anniversary of the modern Olympics.Public order ministry spokesman Yiannis Papadoyiannis said at a press conference announcing the events, that the Greek police force is showing its athletic side. He added that Greek police officers and firemen have contributed much to Greece's success in the Olympic Games and in other international sporting meets in the past. OLYMPICSThe Olympics began in Greece, and were revived in Greece a century ago. Greece would like to see the 2004 Olympics staged in Athens.International Olympic Committee vice president Mark Hodler is optimistic about the Athens bid. A week after an IOC evaluation team visited Athens to assess the Greek capital's Olympic capacities, Hodler says there is much good will toward Athens on the IOC. He believes that if the technical capabilities of Athens are the same as its competitors, then the committe will lean toward Athens. Hodler made the comments in Rhodes, where he was attending the World Bridge Olympiade. STEFANIDESThree Greek artists captured the imagination of the public this week, at an exhibition containing works of modern Greek and European art.The exhibit was held at "Art Athina 4" was held at the Athens Exhibition Centre. In winning over viewers, Giorgos Gyparakis used his imagination, games and his artistic instinct in his words. Nakis Tastsioglou presented well-balanced works made of plexi-glass. And Nikos Kessalis had his latest pieces on display: silk-screen love stories, and pictures of himself printed on cement. Art historian Manos Stefanides says the exhibit gave visitors the chance to see how art is being produced at the end of the century. © ANT1-Radio 1996Antenna Radio News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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