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The experts from the International Monetary Fund, the European Commission and the European Central Bank are not satisfied with the accepted a few days ago by the Greek Parliament Law for liberalization of the labor market. A representative of the troika told the Sunday edition of the Vima newspaper that the voted texts do not reflect what the experts and the Greek government agreed and is registered in the updated memorandum. "I expect that in January the Greek government will take corrections in the right direction," the unnamed representative said. He said that if this does not happen, the Troika will bring the matter directly to the government and it will subject it to the payment of the fourth tranche of the aid that will be provided in March 2011.
The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund has approved payment of the third tranche of 2.5 billion euro. "The program, which supports the Fund gives good results and the Greek government deserves congratulations for that. The inflation is reduced and the competitiveness is improving”, said the Vice President of the IMF Murillo Portugal. "Lowering of the salaries and pensions is a measure which can not be applied again," said the mission chief Paul Thompson. According to him the urgent cutting of the costs in the public sector should be done to the detriment of the closure or privatization of the unprofitable state enterprises and the reform in the health care system. Paul Thompson calls for further liberalization of labor market not only to increase the competitiveness, but also to drop the prices for end users.
"We would not need the Memorandum if over the years we carried out all these reforms. When in 2013 we go out of it we will be able to look proudly in the eyes the Greek taxpayers," said on an emergency meeting of the PASOK parliamentary group, the Prime Minister Georgios Papandreou. The changes in the public administration and public sectors throughout the economic model of development of Greece, and the fight against the unemployment will be the government's priorities in 2011.
Meanwhile, the Greek unions take a new series of protests in the last week before Christmas. On Monday, the residents of Athens will be faced again with the difficult test to move into the 4.5 million, city without public transportation. On Wednesday, when the Greek Parliament will vote the budget for 2011 the unions announced three hours strike, and from 1 pm they are organizing a protest march to the parliament.