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Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-09-19Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Alogoskoufis: Efforts to privatise OA will continue; alternative solutions also consideredThe government, and specifically Economy and Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis, reiterated on Monday that it will continue efforts at privatising ailing national carrier Olympic Airlines (OA), although "alternative solutions" are available in case purchase offers fall through. Alogoskoufis said he will not rule out the prospect of joint private sector/state control of an OA successor. "Our goal is a robust (business) scheme that will guarantee flight safety and healthy competition in the air transport sector," he told reporters shortly after meeting with the leadership of Greece's largest trade umbrella union, GSEE.In terms of other issues, Alogoskoufis said the government does not intend to change the collective bargaining agreement regime, which he called successful. Additionally, the minister said 2006 will witness the commencement of a dialogue over long-term interventions in the country's social security system, as well as discussion over tax reforms for individual income tax rates. On his part, GSEE president Christos Polyzogopoulos called for a convergence agreement over wages, warning that the unions will demand pay hikes more than covering the inflation rate. Additionally, he called for a timetable to funnel state funding into the social security system, especially aimed at the after 2025 period. Finally, he again reiterated GSEE's call for a heating oil subsidy towards lower-income households during the upcoming winter season. Alogoskoufis was accompanied by Economy Deputy Ministers Christos Folias, Petros Doukas and Adam Regouzas. [02] Deputy sports minister requests clarification of international sports administrations' legal relationLIVERPOOL (ANA - G. Dimitroglou) - Deputy Sports Minister George Orfanos, speaking during the informal conference of European Union sports ministers here on Monday, stressed the need for the clarification of the legal relation between international sports federations, both in relation to member-states' law and that of the EU. On the occasion of the issue surfacing recently with FIFA, which is threatening the Greek Soccer Federation (EPO) with sanctions in the event of interference by the state, the deputy sports minister called on the conference to consider the problem of conflict between EU or national law with the regulations of FIFA and other international federations."The international sports federations, due to the great publicity and commercialism acquired by sport, are now in a position to shape legal relations and situations which are alien to the competitive part of the sport they are promoting," he said. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |