OPINION

A need for consensus

The government should take responsibility for informing the public why its reforms in the labor and social security sectors have prompted such hostile reactions. If citizens were fully briefed about problems in these sectors, they might reassess their own established opinions about the rights and obligations of individuals, social groups and society as a whole. The government should show the public how unequally different categories of workers and pensioners are treated and point out who is responsible for this situation. Of course, the right to strike is sacred, as are workers’ rights to highlight their demands and pursue what they view as fair solutions to problems. The Greek Constitution and the country’s laws both have a plethora of provisions defending these rights. Generally, the constitution protects the good of society as a whole above the individual or specific social groups. Evidently, then, the chief duty of every government is to protect the interests of society. This is why our political leadership, over the past 30 years, has given in to pressures exerted by vested interests – often for party gain, conceding advantages and benefits at the expense of society as a whole.

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