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Athens News Agency: News in English, 10-12-09Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] PM to chair Cabinet meeting on labour relationsANA-MPA/The Cabinet, chaired by prime minister George Papandreou, is slated to approve a handful of crucial bills on Thursday for tabling in parliament. The Cabinet will discuss changes to labour relations and individual employment contracts, cost-cutting in the public utilities and organisations (DEKO), tax regulations in the real estate market and VAT.ana-mpaThe Cabinet will discuss a regional development and competitiveness ministry draft law on "Boosting Private Investments for Economic Growth, Entrepreneurship and Regional Cohesion" to be unveiled by minister Michalis Chryssohoidis, a bill on "Urgent Measures for Implementation of the Support Program for the Greek Economy" to be introduced jointly by finance minister George Papaconstantinou and employment and social security minister Louka Katseli, a bill on "Postal Services, Electronic Communication and other provisions" to be unveiled by infrastructures, transports and networks minister Dimitris Reppas, and a bill on "Establishing an Agency for the Exploration and Exploitation of Hydrocarbons" to be introduced by environment, energy and climate change minister Tina Birbili. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form [02] Rehn in Athens on ThursdayBRUSSELS (ANA-MPA - V. Demiris) European Commissioner for economic and monetary affairs Olli Rehn is due in Athens on Thursday, where he will have a succession of meetings with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou, Bank of Greece governor George Provopoulos and the board chairman of the Financial Stability Fund Panagiotis Thomopoulos.During Wednesday's press briefing in Brussels, Commission spokesman Olivier Bailly said that Rehn's talks in Athens will focus on the effort for financial stabilisation, structural reforms and ways to bring about the recovery of the Greek economy.ana-mpa Bailly also referred to a visit to Athens on Friday by European Commissioner for regional policy Johannes Hahn, who is to meet Papandreou and members of the government and attend a conference on regional policy with Greece's newly-elected local government officials that take over in January. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form [03] Athens municipality garbage collectors strike suspendedANA-MPA/The strike by garbage collectors of the Athens municipality has been suspended and garbage collection crews will be waging a struggle to clean the capital's streets and squares of thousands of tons of garbage that have been accumulated.More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form [04] Falkonera shipwreck anniversaryANA-MPA/Yesterday, December 8, marked the 44th anniversary of one of the worst maritime accidents in Greece, the widely known as 'Falkonera shipwreck' in which 217 people drowned. Ferryboat 'Heraklion' sailed from Souda Bay, Crete for the port of Piraeus with a crew of 73 and 191 passengers on board at 8:00 pm on Dec. 7, 1966 while gale force winds of 9 Beaufort magnitude were blowing.At around 2:00 am, almost halfway through the voyage and while sailing south of the small rocky island of Falkonera, a refrigerator truck carrying oranges that was loosely strapped started banging into one of the loading doors. The door eventually opened and the truck plummeted into the sea, allowing the water to flood the ship's holds. It took between 15 and 20 minutes for the vessel to capsize.ana-mpa It was 02:06 am on Thursday, Dec. 8, 1966, when the distress signal "SOS from Heraklion at 36° 52' N 24° 08' E. 'We are sinking' was sent out. The ferryboat sank, taking with it to its watery grave a total of 217 people from the passengers and crew. Only 30 passengers and 16 crew members were rescued. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form [05] Export-friendly plan announcedANA-MPA/Less than 1/5 of the large export businesses are engaged in exporting activity that exceeds 50 pct of their turnover, Regional Development and Competitiveness Minister Mihalis Chryssohoidis stressed on Wednesday.ana-mpaHe underlined that "we barely utilise the rise recorded in world trade considering that exports correspond to just 8.7 pct of the GDP whereas in Spain are higher than 16 pct, while in Portugal and Holland are over 20 pct and 50 pct respectively."ana-mpa The extroversion plan includes the adoption of a national brand and the reorganization of agencies such as, the Hellenic Foreign Trade Board (HEPO) and the Export Credit Insurance Organization (ECIO) to acquire new roles and cooperate with the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) and Invest in Greece to guarantee an overall improvement of Greece's image abroad, Chryssohoidis stated. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form [06] Bar owners' demonstrationANA-MPA/Bar, club and restaurant owners staged a demonstration outside the health ministry on Wednesday, to protest about the universal ban on smoking in indoor spaces, including bar and dining areas.The protestors repeated their federation's position that smoking should be allowed in public places where the public's attendance was entirely optional and voluntary and only banned in areas that they were obliged to visit.ana-mpa A health ministry announcement said that enforcement of the ban was continuing with more frequent inspections.ana-mpa Cafe and bar owners, on their part, countered that the ban was leading their businesses into a swift decline and they were therefore forced to effectively ignore it. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form [07] Inflation rate at 4.9 %ANA-MPA/The Consumer Price Index (CPI) in November 2010, compared with November 2009, increased by 4.9 percent, the Hellenic Statistical Agency announced on Wednesday. In November 2009, the annual rate of change of the CPI was 2.0 percent.ana-mpaThe CPI in November 2010, compared with October 2010, increased by 0.2 percent. In October 2009, the monthly rate of change of the CPI was 0.5 percent. In the twelve-month period from December 2009 to November 2010 compared with the period from December 2008 to November 2009 the annual average rate of change of the CPI was 4.5 percent. The corresponding annual average rate of change of the CPI in the previous year (December 2008 to November 2009), was 1.2 percent. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form [08] Athens Newspaper HeadlinesThe Thursday edition of Athens' dailies at a glanceChanges in labor relations in the public utilities and organisations (DEKO) and taxation and speculation of restructuring of Greece's debt were the main front-page items in Athens' dailies on Thursday. ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "New salary scale in OSE (Hellenic Rail Organisation) - Pilot for all the DEKO". AVGHI: "Razing of salaries, no restrictions on layoffs". AVRIANI: "Return to the drachma and renegotiation of the state debt". ELEFTHEROS: "Salaries to be 'shaved'." ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Razing of salaries in the private sector". ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "Upsets in labor - Omnibus bill changes remuneration, contracts, services, job positions". ESTIA: "The Memorandum an alibi for the government". ETHNOS: "Heavy cuts (in DEKO employees' remuneration, otherwise shutdown or sale". IMERISSIA: "National Bank sees 'light' at end of tunnel". KATHIMERINI: "All the fronts opening up". LOGOS: "40 percent reduction in remuneration in the DEKO". NAFTEMPORIKI: "Road opens for reductions in remuneration". NIKI: "Creation of brand-name for Greek products". RIZOSPASTIS: "Government abolishing the collective labor agreements - Everyone show up at today's demonstrations". TA NEA: "Christmas bonus - Who and how much they will (not) receive". VRADYNI: "Fear sending people to early retirement". More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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