Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 01-08-09

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From: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.

CONTENTS

[01] AIRPLANE FOUND, NO CASUALTIES

[02] PATRIARCHAL VISIT TO MYTILINI

[03] NEW DEMOCRACY AGAINST PASOK

[04] THERE IS NO RETIREMENT ISSUE FOR WOMEN

[01] AIRPLANE FOUND, NO CASUALTIES

The single-engined Cessna 172 was found off the southeastern coast of Samothraki, with the two passengers that had left earlier from Alexandroupoli. The two passengers, according to what the Ministry of Nautical Commerce announced, are well in their health. However, they gave information of a third party on the plane with them.

Earlier that afternoon, the pilot had sent out an SOS while the plane was flying over Samothraki. An air force C-130 and a helicopter from Limnos got there quickly. The Cessna belongs to a aerial club of Alexandroupoli.

[02] PATRIARCHAL VISIT TO MYTILINI

An official visit to the Holy Metropolis of Mytilini, is going to be made by the Patriarch of Alexandria and all of Africa, Peter 7th . the Patriarch will arrive in Mytilini on Saturday the 11th of August where the Metropolite of Mytilini, Mr.Iakovos, and State Representatives will welcome him. A large crowd of faithful is expected at his arrival, since the Patriarch is very well respected in Lesvos.

According to an announcement made by the Patriarchy of Alexandria, the Patriarch will attend the inauguration ceremony and the Patriarchal Mass at the Holy Church of Zoodohos Pigi in Agiasos and on Wednesday 15th he will attend the PatriarchalMass in the Church of the Holy Mother in Agiasos. Agiasos is 27 klms. from the city of Mytilini, and many vow to go the distance on foot for the grace of the Holy Mother.

During his stay in Mytilini, the Patriarch of Alexandria will have meetings with, among others, the Metropolites of Mytilini and Corinth, the Minister of the Aegean, Mr. N. Sifounakis, high ranking military officers, the prefect, the mayor and other ecclesiastical and state agents.

[03] NEW DEMOCRACY AGAINST PASOK

The issue of hiring in the public sector was dominant in the meeting which took place in the offices of New Democracy, with the participation of Parliamentary Group Dimitris Sioufas, the Parliamentary Representative Prokopis Pavlopoulos, the coordinators of public administration and social affairs Mr. Polydoras and Mr. Kaklamanis and relevant sector heads.

The staff members of New Democracy attacked the government on the issue of hiring in the public sector,. N.D. supported that the governing party is using the hiring to its own advantage. At the same time it asked the government and Supreme Council for Selection of Personnel to check all cases and the meritocratic stance of the public towards the issue.

As it was made known, Mr, Polydoras, Mr. Polyzos and Mr. Lampropoulos will visit, in August, the President of the SCSP so as to inform him on their positions. At the same time, New Democracy will create committees for the observe and check all hiring in the district.

[04] THERE IS NO RETIREMENT ISSUE FOR WOMEN

"There is no matter of increasing the retirement age of women at the same levels as that of men in professional insurance systems. There will be no change, because in our country, as in other countries of the EU, there is no category that applies to that expression."

This was the statement of the Minister of Employment - Social Securities, Tassos Giannitsis, so as to calm down the protests, the uneasiness, and the feeling of insecurity present in thousands of working women due to the announcement that the European Court condemned our country for not having incorporated the given directive in our laws.

In the frame of mind that the Directive, except perhaps in company insurance systems, interests no one in Greece, Mr. Giannitsis rules out any chance of such a topic arising in the discussions that will take place on the modulating of the insurance retirement system.

In fact, the Minister degrades the importance of issuing of a presidential order for the adjustment of pending issue of not incorporating the European Directive in our legislature, characteristically stating that "a presidential order would just reproduce the text of the Directive..."

The ministerial clarification also answers yesterday's announcement which was made public by the Cooperating Federations of Pensioners insured in IKA - TEVE - TSA - NAT - ELTA - TAE and in the Public Sector, who represent over 1,5 million pensioners of the private and public sector.

The Federations, as a whole group of women's organizations had done previously, accuse the government that if they incorporate the said directive in the country's legislature "they make it easier for its 'anti-insurance measures' to be passed."

The same organizations, criticize the EU for no doing anything to deal with unfavorable and unequal treatment of women in the matter of payment, social rights but also unemployment.

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