Athens News Agency: News in English, 09-10-17

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] KKE leader in Piraeus

[02] LAOS party on crisis

[03] Tsipras meets unions

[04] Olympic Air inaugurated

[01] KKE leader in Piraeus

The purpose of her visit was to meet with the board of the port and dock workers' union OMYLE.

In a speech to striking dock workers, she underlined KKE's radical opposition to the privatisation of the port's container terminal and stressed that the fight to oppose the privatisation should not have been waged by the dock workers alone but in a united from with the General Confederation of Employees of Greece (GSEE) and the civil servants' union ADEDY, among others.

She urged strikers to not submit to pressures, underlining that their labour rights were threatened by the port privatisation.

"We must not allow any port to be privatised," Papariga stressed.

Piraeus dock workers are currently striking in protest at an agreement granting a long-term lease to operate the profitable container terminal to the Chinese company COSCO.

[02] LAOS party on crisis

It stressed that 10 days have barely passed since the new government came to power and the state is falling apart in vital sectors of the economy.

"All are hoping for investments to enable us to rid ourselves of the crisis. However, with what is happening, who will want to invest in Greece. Some are counting on unrest, harming every prospect of the nation," it added.

Also referring to the government's handling of the economy, the party stressed that "words on balconies before the elections cannot stop the economy's downhill course. Only the tight decrease in expenditures, the increase in productivity at all cost and the seeking of capital beyond borrowing leave some margin for a temporary exit from the crisis."

[03] Tsipras meets unions

The employees are facing wage cuts, lay-offs and a reduction in jobs and he made his statement during a meeting with their union organisation.

Tsipras noted that mobile phone companies had for years enjoyed scandalously immense profits at the expense of the Greek state sector, since in the early years they had been allowed to operate without any competition from state-owned Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation (OTE). These profits were now continuing, he added, through those company's activity on the stock market.

He also noted the "breakdown" of labour relations and a return to what he called the 'Dark Ages' for labour, marked by fear of dismissal, flexible work relations, hiring on a project contract basis and 'stage' programmes.

Tsipras assured the two unions that SYRIZA would fight alongside them to protect their constitutional rights to unionise and to uphold labour legislation.

[04] Olympic Air inaugurated

He underlined the commitment of Marfin Investment Group "the biggest Greek business group to continue to place social interest above the short-term business interest for as long as the economic crisis lasts."

Vgenopoulos thanked Prime Minister George Papandreou for whom he said that being the leader of the main opposition party he had supported the privatisation of Olympic, ignoring petty political interests.

Vgenopoulos also said that the achievement of Olympic Air would not have been feasible without the backing and hard work of its 5,000 employees.

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