The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 08-12-28

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From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <www.ert.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Open Amid Protests

Although shops under the jurisdiction of the City of Athens opened today, the Federation of Private Employees, PAME (All Workers Militant Front) and the Hellenic Social Forum held a protest rally in Ermou Street to express their opposition to the undermining of Sunday as a day-off. Meanwhile, Thessaloniki Prefect Panagiotis Psomiadis proposed that sales begin next Friday and shops to remain open across the prefecture.

Protests in the centre of Athens were also launched by the Federation of Employees and SYRIZA (Coalition of the Radical Left).

Employees blocked the entrance to departments stores in the centre of Athens at 09:30, in a attempt to show that today's operation of shops might serve as an alibi for the abolishment of Sunday as a day-off.

The Hellenic Social Forum and PAME also blocked shops in the centre of Athens in reaction to today's opening of shops.

Forum members met at Syntagma Square and then marched to Ermou Street, demanding shops that had opened to close.

At the same time, PAME held a raly in Ermou Street and then in Stadiou Street, where it symbolically blocked shops.

However, many people went shopping down town today despite the cold weather. Many shops had opened in the Athens historic centre.

Shops in the prefecture of Thessaloniki remained closed. Thessaloniki Prefect proposed to the boards of the Traders' Association and Employees' Centre that all shops open in the Thessaloniki prefecture on the first Sunday of 2009.

Shop owners and employees disagreed as to whether the opening of shops would tackle the crisis in the market. As a result the prefecture has not decided for the shops to open.

Also Read: Shops to Open & Wrangling to Continue

News item: 17158

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