Municipality workers out of control

Municipality employees are out of control, protesting since Thursday and causing incidents.

They did not hesitate to hit a mayor, when they arrived in the offices of KEDKE where the governing board was meeting. Some workers went to the meeting room  and assault Neapolis Sykeon Mayor Simos Daniilidis. The incidents escalated after they started throwing bottles at windows and trashing everything in their path. Mr. Daniilidis, battered, was escorted out of the room, while Thessaloniki Mayor Mr. Boutaris was also assaulted.

An attack by the POE-OTA employees took place outside KEDKE. Protesters attacked by throwing water and coffee, while Mr. Kaminis tried to escape the enraged crowd. The employees proceeded to chase after a riot police support squad down Dragatsaniou Street, while they are currently outside KEDKE. They are going to blockade the Fili landfill and are warning that if privately contracted individuals are seen collecting trash, there will be clashes anew.

The Ministry of the Interior leadership was also victimized in the attacks relating to the matter of garbage collection. While the interview was to be given at the Ministry of the Interior, due to the protests Mr. Kastanidis sought shelter at the General Secretariat for Equality. When protesters marched there, a decision was taken to hold the meeting in the PASOK offices. The same events unfolded there, and the meeting was postponed until 5pm.

With garbage accumulating on the streets and putting our health at risk, the insistence of cleaning employees is worrying to say the least.

Vice-minister of the Interior Paris Koukoulopoulos, speaking to MEGA on Wednesday, clarified that the situation cannot continue as is and that the role of garbage collection will be undertaken by private companies, if protesters do not return to their posts. As he stated, the collection will begin in Athens and Thessaloniki in the afternoon.

As for the uproar caused by the fact that employees chose occupations instead of strikes so that they can be regularly and normally paid, the minister stated that “there is no such assumption that they will be paid”.

Employees, on their part, seem adamant and the chairman of POE-OTA, Th. Balasopoulos, made it clear that they are ready to oppose anyone wishing to collect garbage.