Greek armed riot police viciously attacked with their shields a group of protesting sacked women cleaners at the entrance to the Finance Ministry building in Athens on Tuesday afternoon.
Cleaners were pushed and kicked by the riot police as they shouted ‘this is a junta, this is a junta!’. Several cleaners suffered injuries from the attack.
The women cleaners, sacked by the Finance Ministry nine months ago, were there to demand their jobs back from the new Finance Minister Gikas Khardouvalis.
Just over a month ago an Athens court vindicated the 595 women cleaners employed by the Ministry at tax offices.
The court ordered their immediate reinstatement.
But the Greek coalition government refused to carry out the court’s order and instead appealed to the High Court whose decision was expected yesterday.
The women cleaners have set up a camp blockading one of the main Finance Ministry buildings in central Athens. Last week riot police attempted to remove them but they failed.
Cleaners say that they won’t go home unless they get their jobs back.
They are not optimistic of the High Court’s decision, given its record, but they have made up their minds of fighting to the end, to their victory.
