Four injured in clashes between GSEE, PAME unionists in Rhodes
Four people were reportedly injured in Rhodes after a group of about 200 individuals stormed into the Rhodes Palace hotel where Greece's biggest private-sector union, GSEE, was expected to hold its 37th conference in the early hours of Thursday and clashed with union members.
According to the head of GSEE, Giannis Panagopoulos, the assailants were members from the communist-affiliated trade union PAME who smashed windows and attacked participants.
GSEE condemned the “violent invasion” of the protesters and accused the Public Order and Citizen Protection Ministry of not protecting the conference and allowing “known and unknown thugs to barge in and commit criminal offences against life and property before the eyes of the police.”
In its own statement, PAME admitted to entering the hotel's premises to disrupt the conference, but said GSEE unionists pretended to have been injured to justify legal action against them.
The conference is held to select a new administration. This is the second time the GSEE conference has been postponed after similar clashes between unionists in Kalamata on March 15.
