POE-OTA call off election week walkout after wages pledge
The union of municipal employees, POE-OTA on Friday called off plans for a strike on the week leading up to the January 25 polls after the Interior Ministry said it would pay pending bonuses from European Parliament elections last May and guaranteed that workers would receive their bonuses for the forthcoming snap polls.
Earlier this month, POE-OTA called on its members to walk off the job in the week leading up to general elections on January 25 as a protest against the fact that employees expected to work in the leadup to next week’s elections remain unpaid.
The union called off the action after the ministry issued emergency legislation, which does not require a vote in Parliament, approving the release of the pending wages and the payments for elections this month.
A budget of 45 million euros has been approved for the general elections on January 25 – which is 10 percent less than for the May 2012 polls – following tough negotiations between the Interior Ministry and the Finance Ministry, Kathimerini understands.
