The meeting of Minister of Finance Yiannis Stournaras with the lenders’ representatives, namely Paul Thomsen of the International Monetary Fund, Klaus Masuch of the European Central Bank and Mathias Morse of the European Commission, went on for five hours today but no agreement was reached. The talks will continue in the coming days.

The difference between the basic salaries of employees with primary and secondary education in the public and private sector is almost 30% and, in some cases, the salaries of civil servants are 58% higher.

"If it comes to cuts to doctors in the public health care system, please, do not perceive them as the work of the Troika. I do not want Thomsen to take away glory from me, the decisions are mine," said Georgiadis, horrifying those who are used to the idea that the Greeks in the public sector are a "sacred cow".