Galery

1

The political scene in Greece is red hot in connection with the sale of 30% of the national electricity company. Both the government and the opposition are ready to "fight", whereas consumers and thousands of tourists are in danger of possible blackouts in the midst of summer.

The government seems determined not to allow the trade unionists to go to extremes and to "pull the plug" to the detriment of other groups. It is sending messages that the country will not sink into darkness, leaving open the probability of mobilizing the power company employees.

On the other hand, the government wants to convince the deputies to support the strategy agreed between the government partners, namely Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and Deputy Prime Minister Evangelos Venizelos.

"There are a number of guarantees, and others will be added too, so that things go normally", said the president of PASOK in a conversation with reporters after yesterday's meeting with the Prime Minister. He left open the possibility for other changes if they appear during the discussion of the relevant bill in parliament tomorrow.

SYRIZA tours in support of strike actions

In turn, the largest opposition SYRIZA party has taken to heart the issue of the national electricity company and has started tours in Greece, during which leading party members and leader Alexis Tsipras support the strike actions where there are units of the electricity company.

A session of the parliamentary group of the party is scheduled for today at noon to give guidelines and senior leaders of the opposition party are promising a "hot" summer.

Employees on a war footing

At the same time, the trade unions of employees in the national electricity company are threatening to "pull the plug", going on 48-hour repetitive strikes after Wednesday, when the discussion of the bill will start in parliament.

A rally in front of the company headquarters on Halkokondili Street is scheduled for Thursday whereas the local community will organize in the evening a protest in the central square of Megaloupoli town in the Peloponnese, where there are large deposits of lignite coal and a mine of the electricity company that employs over 1,000 people.

Meanwhile, according to sources, the protests will begin in Western Macedonia with an occupation of the power plants in Ptolemaida, Amindeo and Florina.

In every case, the major goal of the unionists is for the protest not to remain isolated from society but to involve all local communities.