Firefighters assured of permanent jobs

More than 1,000 firefighters marched on Parliament on Wednesday and smashed their way into the Ministry of Administrative Reform to protest Friday's expiration of 4,000 five-year contracts. The protesters scuffled briefly with police as they broke a glass door at the building's entrance and set up camp in the foyer, demanding a meeting with Minister Olga Gerovasili and assurances that the 4,000 fixed-term contracts would be revised to permanent positions. After meeting with representatives, Gerovasili assured the firefighters that they would keep their jobs. [Alkis Konstantinidis/REUTERS]