Fifty members of the Greek Finance Ministry’s cleaning staff who were laid-off last year took a group photo along with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras at the steps of Maximos Mansion after their meeting, on Thursday May 7. Last year 420 members of the ministry’s cleaning staff were laid-off, after the incident they camped out, outside the building rallying for their rights as public sector employees. The 50-members delegation met with Alexis Tsipras, one day after the bill providing for their reinstatement was passed by the Greek Parliament. At the meeting Tsipras noted that their struggle gave him strength to continue his own battle with Greece’s partners. “I draw strength from your fight,” he told them, receiving a long round of applause from the delegation members. Tsipras also stressed that the situation in Greece is difficult at the moment, adding that during his meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel he brought up the example of the laid-off cleaning staff to illustrate how unjust the austerity measures were for the Greek people. On their part, the cleaning staff members stated that they are willing to continue fighting, since there are one million unemployed people in the country. Coming out of Maximos Mansion the cleaning staff members expressed their satisfaction, noting that they had finally found justice. Today, May 7 marks the one-year-anniversary since the cleaning staff decided to set up tents outside the Greek Finance ministry. One year later they decided to gather their tents and organize a small celebration before they leave.
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