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"Greece is risking to greet a day in 2015 without means to pay pensions, if we do not act immediately," said Minister of Employment and Social Security Andreas Loverdos in an interview for the Greek national TV. The government will request a three-year transitional period from the European Commission for the full implementation of the reform in health and pension insurance system. Increasing the retirement age from 61 years to 67 years for employees in the public sector and the merger of the fourteen basic state pensions funds, are only one part of the changes which the PASOK government should introduce as soon as possible. The first plan of the ministry was to gradually introduce a series of changes for a period of seven years. It was rejected by the European Commission according to which a transitional period for introduction of reform in health and pension insurance is impossible. The new proposal by the Greek government is for the new legislation on social security to be put into effect until 2013. After the strike of public employees on February 24, the government will sit at the negotiating table with them. Government and unions must reach consensus, so on March 28 the government can submit the final version of the three-year plan to the European Commission. 

At the same time a wave of discontent rose among the Greek public. This week series of strikes will flood Greece as a sign of discontent with the new economic restrictions that the government of Giorgos Papandreou was forced to introduce. From February 16 to 18, customs officers strike to protest against the decision to reduce their monthly salaries. Under the same pretext officials from the Ministry of Finance announced a four-day strike - they will return to their jobs on February 22. The General Confederation of Greek Workers and the Union of Public Employees will carry out their planned 24-hour strike on February 24, as a sign of disagreement with the increase in retirement age, increasing fuel taxes, and freezing of pensions and salaries for the next three years.