Rail workers demonstrate in Athens
Workers protested outside of the offices of the Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE) in Athens yesterday in opposition to planned job cuts at the state-owned railroad company. Earlier this week, the government gave the green light to streamline OSE’s operations in a bid to ease the financial strain the heavily indebted transport company is putting on state finances. OSE’s total debts of 9 billion euros are expected to balloon to 11 billion by the end of 2011, according to Transport Minister Evripidis Stylianidis. Ministry officials have said plans are in the pipeline for staff cuts of 2,000 to 3,000 people, out of a total 7,000 OSE employees, over the next three years.
