Athens mayor 'physically attacked' over job cuts
Athens Mayor George Kaminis has been attacked by local authority workers protesting against job cuts tied to Greece's financial bailout.
Mayor Kaminis was “physically attacked" on Sunday by
suspected union workers protesting job cuts, his office
announced, according to AFP. The incident happened as the mayor
was leaving a Confederation of Greek Municipalities (KEDE)
meeting, where he held discussions about the austerity measures
and the way they affect thousands of municipal employees.
According to reports, he was struck by unionists representing
municipal workers outside the building. Kaminis was checked
in to hospital where he was treated for minor injuries.
After being discharged, Kaminis issued a statement blaming
POE-OTA union and its leader, Themis Balasopoulos, for the
assault.
“By targeting the mayor of Athens, who has spoken clearly on
all issues, the POE-OTA president is trying to cover up his
longstanding embroilment in the clientelistic system in local
government,” the mayor’s office said, accusing Balasopoulos
of leading union members “down a dangerous road”, local papers
reported.
In turned POE-OTA condemned
the attack blaming provocateurs for the incident, saying it was
“damaging for the just
fight of local authority workers”.
KEDE has also spoken out against the assault. "The Board of
KEDE strongly condemns the fascist and unacceptable attack
against the Mayor,” the confederations said in a statement.
Municipal employees are scheduled to protest in Athens on Monday
against the government’s decision to implement a labor mobility
scheme which would mean either transferring employees to
different departments or cancelling their contracts.
Some 25,000 civil servants must be transferred by the end of the
year and another 4,000 made redundant to gain access to the
Troika’s 8.1 billion euros bailout funds.
Eurozone finance ministers will meet Monday to discuss further
authorization of funds conditional on Greece being on track with
its reform process.
