OLME
INFORMATION ABOUT THE DEMONSTRATION ON 28-2-14 IN ATHENS
On the 28th of February 2014, OLME organized demonstrations against the dismissals that will be forced on the 22-03-2014. The demonstrations took place at the same time the representatives of the troika were having discussions with the ministers of the Greek Government.
The discussions were about the dismissals of permanent teachers and other public servants.
The demonstrators suffered the fiercer attack ever by the police forces.
There have been 18 arrests and 4 injuries of protesters.
OLME made the following complaint:
?We denounce the unprecedented violent incidents caused by the continuous attacks of the police wherever we had manifestations of protest against the suspensions ? dismissals, against the policies of the Greek Government, the IMF and the EU.
The Government, scared by the growing reaction of workers struggling for their right to permanent and stable jobs, released the forces of repression to terrify us.
So, since the morning, after attacking the activist protest of teachers, school guards, cleaning women and other public servants on suspension waiting for their dismissal, the police proceeded to 17 adductions of teachers and school guards, the President of OLME, Themis Kotsifakis, included. The same situation was repeated later in front of the Minister of Finance, where the police forces showed an incredibly violent behavior, repulsing and hitting the demonstrators and doing extensive use of chemical gas.
From these attacks 4 of the demonstrators were injured and transferred to the hospital. Among them the President of POE-OTA (union of local authorities? workers) Th. Balassopoulos, while Gr. Kalomiris, teacher and member of the Executive Board of ADEDY (Confederation of public servants) was arrested and accused of disobedience and insult of authority!!
We denounce the autocratic actions of the Greek Government and the police violence.
We declare that we will not be terrified by any attack. We will continue our struggle so that not a single one of our colleagues, not a single one of any worker is fired.
We struggle for permanent and stable jobs for everyone.
The terrorism will not be tolerated.
Our struggle will continue until Victory.?
PRESS OFFICE OF OLME
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Full video of the activism early in the morning on the 28-03-2014
In the yard of the Ministry of Administrative Reform, by teachers, school guards and cleaning women in suspension, facing dismissals.
It resulted in 18 arrests, mostly of teachers, and the injury of a woman colleague.
Translation of the video on Alpha TV news bulletin, 28-02-2014
?Besiege? of the troika meeting with the Minister of Administrative Reform and discussing the dismissals of public servants. Teachers, school guards and cleaning women, in front of definitive dismissals in 22 days.
Arrests of trade unionists, tension and injuries.
For the last 7 hours, demonstrators face the police. Tension and violence.
As the result of frequent use of chemical gas by the police, a woman loses consciousness. By her unconscious body, her colleagues are being repulsed by the police.
The orders are clear: demonstrators must not approach the Ministry of Finance and the members of the troika.
Early in the morning, demonstrators tried to enter the Ministry of Administrative Reform.
At a small distance of the Ministry of Finance, trade unionists attempt to ?break? the barrier of the police.
Grigoris Kalomiris, teacher and trade unionist, is violently arrested. His arm is broken. His colleagues are struggling to set him free. Between them, the President of POE-OTA. The police are violently repulsing them. One more trade unionist lies injured in the street.
Themis Kotsifakis, President of OLME speaking on the camera: they are the terrorists, not the people.
A big operation is set by the police, so that the members of the troika can leave safely the Ministry of Finance. A bottle of water hits Paul Tomsen?s car.
In the meeting, the troika pressed for three things:
- Setting of the target for new suspensions in 2014
- The names of 12.500 of public servants for the second wave of suspensions in 2013 with a new deadline for March 2014
- The acceleration of the 11.000 dismissals in the public sector, provided in the memorandum for 2014