Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-08-25

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM confers with GSEE ahead of TIF address

[02] Trade balance deficit up

[03] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] PM confers with GSEE ahead of TIF address

The GSEE delegation called on the prime minister for measures to boost the financially weaker strata and to tackle the high cost of living.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, GSEE officials stated that "we are leaving poorer than when we came, because we did not receive answers to our demands for strengthening of the (financially) weaker strata, for confrontation of expensiveness, for a heating subsidy".

The delegates said that "the same economic policy will be continued, in other words the rich will get richer and the poor will become poorer", and stressed that "the working people will give a militant response on September 6", the day of Karamanlis' address at the TIF.

Asked what the prime minister told them, GSEE president Christos Panagopoulos said that 'the prime minister does not share our worries, and considers that the economic policy has yielded results", warning that GSEE would not accept "abolition of the law and decimation of the list of 'heavy and hazardous' professions".

GSEE secretary and leader of the DAKE (ruling New Democracy-affiliated trade union organization) Costas Poupakis said that they had a "very good discussion, on all the issues".

"We demand immediate measures for confronting expensiveness and boosting the low income brackets," Poupakis said, adding that all the government officials must turn their attention to solving the every-day problems.

Asked whether DAKE would take part in the workers' mobilizations in Thessaloniki, Poupakis replied that DAKE "will be present in the mobilizations, removed, however, from any expediencies".

GSEE vice-president Alekos Kalyvis noted that he has proposed that the GSEE presidium should not attend the prime minister's address in Thessaloniki.

Karamanlis was due to meet later with the presidium of the Federation of Greek Industries (SEB) for similar talks.

Also present at the meeting were economy and finance minister George Alogoskoufis, development minister Christos Folias, and employment minister Fani Pali-Petralia.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis

[02] Trade balance deficit up

According to ESYE, the trade balance deficit reached 3,117.1 million euros in June this year, up 3.7 percent from 3,005.0 million euros in June 2007, and was attributed to the difference between a 5 percent increase in the overall value of imports/arrivals and a 7 percent rise in the overall value of exports-dispatches.

The deficit fell by 4.7 percent, however, in the six-month period of January-June against the corresponding period in 2007, dropping to 17,098.8 million euros from 17,942.1 million euros in the same period last year.

[03] Athens Newspaper Headlines

The new economic measures to be announced by prime minister Costas Karamanlis at the Thessaloniki International Fair in September, the FYROM president's statement and the Greek response dominated the headlines on Monday in Athens' newspapers .

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "1,290 New Democracy(ND) members who had been found capable of taking part the ND government after the 2004 general elections".

APOGEVMATINI: "Prime Minister of FYROM takes the gold medal for his nationalistic blindness- He broke all the records in unreliability and provocation".

CHORA: "Police investigation for the ransom money from the Mylonas abduction - Where have the abductors hidden the 10 million euros treasure".

ELEFTHERI ORA: "Gruevski, the US mouthpiece in the Balkans , provokes again".

ELEFTHEROS : 'The eight secrets for pensions - For what must new and old insured be careful of".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "The social security reform leaves out 500,000 workers from the 'heavy and hazardous' professions category".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "We can't hold up any more, Mr. Karamanlis - GSEE: Do not even think of imposing more taxes on the citizens".

ESTIA: "The 151 majority in (the 300-member) parliament will be stronger if the rebel ND deputy member is expelled".

ETHNOS : "University students queue up for transfers - Record applications this year".

TA NEA: "FinMin George Alogoskoufis recipe is 'taxes for all' - The bad news will be announced this week".

VRADYNI: "Four-speed 'heavy and hazardous' professions - What the report foresees for 700,000 workers in the latter category".

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