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Trade unionist from Bulgaria and MEP candidate of the radical left SYRIZA party Kostadinka Kuneva has joined the protest of cleaning ladies, former employees at the Ministry of Finance.

They have blocked the entrance of the ministry building and locked the door with a padlock in protest against the fact that the department refuses to reinstate them in their jobs, despite the court decision that defines their dismissals as illegal. The women had filed at Athens District Court a claim against their dismissals. The court decision defines the 393 jobs of cleaning ladies as "obviously indispensable" for the public sector and orders their re-appointment. It argues that the procedure under which the cleaning ladies have been removed from work is unconstitutional and therefore invalid.

Photo: naftemporiki.gr

Addressing the protesters, Kostadinka Kuneva urged them to not give up and defend their rights. At the same time, she appealed to the government to enforce the court decision and reinstate them in their jobs.

Earlier, in statements for ANT1 TV, the cleaning ladies said that chief secretary of state revenues Harris Teoharis told them on Wednesday that he would not agree to enforce any court decisions and that the refusal to return them to work was a political decision.

According to defenders of the cleaning ladies Yiannis Karouzos, the government has no excuses for not enforcing the court decision. In statements for naftemporiki.gr, he said it is temporarily enforceable and the failure to do so is a violation of the constitution.