The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 10-04-15

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

CONTENTS

[01] Cabinet Discusses Pension Bill

The pension bill which will be unveiled at a cabinet meeting includes new provisions, including forms of flexible work, pension rights, wages, labour relations and union rights. Main opposition New Democracy party dismissed the measures are fragmentary, while SYRIZA (Coalition of the Radical Left) spoke of medieval working conditions.

Employment Ministry officials claimed that amendments and necessary adjustments could be made.

Source: NET, NET 105.8, ANA/MPA News item: 35435

[02] Education Minister Meets Teachers' Associations

Education Minister Anna Diamantopoulou met Thursday with the teachers' associations and discussed the new education bill unveiled Wednesday at the cabinet meeting. Teachers object several provisions of the bills.

"Should the Minister insist on changing the way teachers are appointed, then we will hold coordinated industrial actions with OLME, said DOE (Greek Primary Teachers Federation) head Dimitris Bratis after the meeting held between the DOE board with the Education Minister.

"We did not receive positive answers to our grievances," commented OLME (Greek Federation of Secondary School Teachers) President Dimitris Pepes, after meeting with Anna Diamantopoulou. OLME's board is to hold a meeting Friday to decide its future actions.

Anna Diamantopoulou, on her part, highlighted the transitional nature of the bill, stressing that there should be no fear among the teachers. The changes, she added, will be promoted along with the teachers, "but to the students' benefit, because students are our prime concern."

"The New School is a major change with regard to what the school teaches and how. It relates to new curricula, changes in the teaching methods, new tools," said Diamantopoulou.

Source: NET 105.8, NET News item: 35447

[03] Police Searches for Guerrilla Group's Hideout

A gun and some other objects were found in a car whose owner is one of the six suspected members of terrorist group Revolutionary Struggle, police sources said. The car was tracked down on Wednesday night in Nea Filadelfia district. In the meantime, police are searching for clues a house in Kypseli district, central Athens. Police believe the house had been used as a hideout. However, it has been uninhabited for five months. A bag containing a gun and burglary tools was located near the house in question.

Depositions and Detention

Another three suspected members of the terrorist group were referred Thursday morning to the magistrate to testify. Two of them were given until Friday to testify, while Konstantinos Gournas was remanded in custody. The first group of the suspected members - Maziotis, Roupa and Nikitopoulos, has been detained since Wednesday.

All six defendants have been charged with four felonies and four misdemeanors.

The indictment issued against them recognizes Maziotis and Roupa as the leaders of the guerrilla group.

Another four people who were seized Wednesday in Kallithea will be also referred to the magistrate. They are suspected members of the less established urban guerrilla group Conspiracy of the Cells of Fire.

Source: NET, NET 105.8, ANA/MPA News item: 35439

[04] Demonstrations and Work Stoppages

Taxi owners will be on strike until the early hours of Friday, protesting the new tax provisions that apply to them. In the meantime, public transport will be seriously disrupted Thursday, as work stoppages between 11am to 5pm have been scheduled to take place. Hospital doctors, secondary and primary teachers will also hold a work stoppage from 11am to 2pm, protesting the education bill.

Furthermore, there will be no performances at the National Theatre due to the work stoppage staged by the employees at the Theatre.

Source: NET 105.8, ANA/MPA News item: 35436

[05] Volcanic Ash Disrupts UK Flights

All flights in and out of the UK have been suspended as ash from a volcanic eruption in Iceland moves south. Safety body Eurocontrol said up to 4,000 flights across northern Europe would be cancelled on Thursday. The air traffic control service (Nats) said no flights would be allowed in or out of UK airspace until 1800BST amid fears of engine damage.

The airspace restriction was the most significant in living memory, a spokesman said. Nats suggested that the restrictions were unlikely to be lifted after 1800, saying it was "very unlikely that the situation over England will improve in the foreseeable future".

Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark were among the European countries hit.

The restrictions were imposed after the Met Office warned the ash was sufficient to clog engines. Passengers were advised to contact their carriers prior to travel.

Experts have warned that the tiny particles of rock, glass and sand contained in the ash cloud would be sufficient to jam aircraft engines.

But the Health Protection Agency said the ash did not pose a significant risk to public health because of its high altitude.

Source: BBC News item: 35450

[06] Greece Wants IMF, EU, ECB Talks on Support Mechanism

Greece said on Thursday it is seeking talks with the EU, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund on a multi-year economic program that could be backed by financial aid if it were to ask for it.

"The Greek authorities are requesting discussions with the European Commission, the ECB and the IMF on a multi-year programme of economic policies ... that could be supported with financial assistance from the euro-area member states and the IMF, if the Greek authorities were to decide to request such assistance," Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou said in a letter.

The letter was addressed to EU Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn, ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet and the IMF's Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

It said Greece was seeking the talks in accordance with a statement agreed by euro zone finance ministers on Sunday.

Source: Reuters News item: 35462

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