Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-06-11

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

CONTENTS

[01] Parliament continues debate on vote of confidence sought by PM

[02] PM discusses bank pensions and labour reform with finmin, employment minister

[03] Ecumenical Patriarch celebrates nameday with call against 'fundamentalist bigotry'

[04] Papandreou opens founding conference of PASOK'S Athens Regional Organisation

[01] Parliament continues debate on vote of confidence sought by PM

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis asked Parliament for a vote of confidence in order to proceed with change and reform while addressing members of Parliament on Friday evening.

He also called on main opposition PASOK, which he said is in a confused state, to take a position in respect to the country's problems and to submit its proposals.

In kicking off the three-day parliamentary process for a vote of confidence, Karamanlis emphasised that the New Democracy administration is a force of reform, changing Greece and leaving the past behind.

He also said that the government enjoys the public's support since the general election of March 7, 2004.

Karamanlis explained that the reason he asked for parliament's vote of confidence is because he felt there was a need for all political parties to air their views on all issues.

"It is time that everyone assumes his responsibilities. [It is time] to choose a side: [one must] either choose the past - conservatism and reaction; or the future - reform and progress," Karamanlis said.

A roll-call vote on the motion will take place on Sunday evening.

[02] PM discusses bank pensions and labour reform with finmin, employment minister

As they emerged from the meeting, Economy and Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis and Employment and Social Insurance Minister Panos Panagiotopoulos said the government was proceeding to establish a bank employee supplementary pension fund with two-thirds funding from the banks and one third guaranteed by the public sector.

Alogoskoufis said that banks would be given a deadline of several months in order to apply to join the new fund.

The minister also commented on the ongoing debate in Parliament for a vote of confidence in the government, saying that PASOK had chosen to stay in the past and ignore the mature demand of Greek society for reforms that will make it more just and effective, as well as giving greater drive to the economy.

Regarding the strike declared by the bank workers' union OTOE, Alogoskoufis stressed that the government had carried out dialogue and had taken all viewpoints into account.

"Our decisions are a combination of these views for the benefit of employees, society and the economy. If some people want to wage war on society, that is their right," the minister added.

Panagiotopoulos spoke about envisaged labour reforms, saying that dialogue with all the parties involved has been underway since February.

"We want to modernise the work environment, boost the competitiveness of small and middle-sized businesses, defend jobs and create new investments and new work positions. The first phase of dialogue has been completed and we will proceed to the next stage in a few weeks, which will include changes with respect to overtime and the allocation of working time. We call on all interested parties to submit their views," he said.

Concerning the Foundation of Social Insurance (IKA), by far the largest social insurance fund in Greece covering the vast majority of employees, the ministers stressed that IKA was incorporated in the state sector and fully guaranteed by the Greek state. Panagiotopoulos said that the government supported IKA and guaranteed its financial probity and the upgrade of its services, if necessary by taking more money from the state budget.

[03] Ecumenical Patriarch celebrates nameday with call against 'fundamentalist bigotry'

He was replying to earlier speeches made by Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All Greece, the head of the Greek Orthodox Church, representatives of the Alexandria and Jerusalem Patriarchates and Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Panagiotis Skandalakis, who were in Fanar for the Patriarch's nameday celebrations.

Archbishop Christodoulos, in his own speech, had referred to the important role played by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in coordinating and preserving unity and peace among Orthodox Churches, saying this coordinating role was "accepted by all".

According to Skandalakis, "the breath of the Ecumenical Patriarchate is the breath of all", stressing the Greek government's pleasure that Archbishop Christodoulos was in Fanar.

Also present at the celebrations was the Archbishop of America Demetrios.

[04] Papandreou opens founding conference of PASOK'S Athens Regional Organisation

Papandreou said the government had given a "pitiful" account of itself during the first day of the Parliamentary debate for the vote of confidence motion on Friday and stressed that PASOK would not allow it to "drag the country into bankruptcy".

According to the main opposition leader, ND had come into power without a programme for the country but only for its own supporters and he accused it of large-scale recruiting of its own supporters to the the public sector and local government.

He noted that the government was talking of reforms when it had suffered a string of failures in every important issue that it had undertaken.

PASOK's leader also referred to series of conflicting statements by top members of the PASOK party over the past days, stressing that the different democratic voices were both right and necessary and that he would defend the right of every democratic voice that served the values of the movement to be heard.

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