Elimination of rights and benefits in the new multi-bill

Despite opposition by MPs and political parties, yesterday the government brought to parliament for ratification the new memorandum in one single article that spans 216 pages of laws and 88 pages of explanatory reports.

 

Apart from last minute changes (ie removal of the section on the recapitalization of banks) the enormous article, the size of which has not been seen by the Greek parliament ever before, means the beginning of new employment and wage woes for wage earners and pensioners, while it proceeds to the deregulation of tens of professions, medical and paramedical mainly, but also of tour guides, longshoremen, newsagents etc.

 

Meanwhile, hundreds of workers are losing their unemployment benefits, but the article establishes an allowance for the long-term unemployed (in effect from 2014), for those who have exhausted their regular subsidy and are between 20 and 66 years of age.