Georgios Katrougalos

The representatives of the Institutions met at 11 a.m. with Labor Minister George Katrougalos to discuss  social security reforms.

Their meeting lasted three hours, while Finance Minsiter Euclid Tsakalotos and Economy, Infrastructure, Shipping and Tourism Minister George Stathakis were also present.

The first meeting between the representatives of Greece’s lenders and the Greek government is concluded.

The ‘Quartet’ will receive Greece’s proposal on the new tax bill tomorrow since it seems that issue was also added in the prior actions for the successful completion of the evaluation.

A group of Greek citizens lashed out at Labour Minister Giorgos Katrougalos on Monday in the center of Athens.

The incident took place at Kotzia square while the minister and other government officials were heading to Mela Mansion of National Bank in order to attend the speech of Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

Four days ahead of strike action scheduled for Thursday, February 4, the government appears unable to appease farmers in their social security demands. The intensity of the farmers’ reaction to planned measures with road blocks around the country appear to have surprised the government with fears that the situation could create a spill-over effect of discontent to other factions.

Greece’s creditors (EC, ECB, ESM, IMF) are heading to the country on Wednesday evening following the Ministry of Labor’s submission of proposals through to 2019 (another study for Greece until 2060 is still outstanding).

Labour Minister Giorgos Katrougalos considers new proposals for the bill on social security reform regarding the self-employed and scientists following the intense social reaction emerged due to the new bill.

Mr. Katrougalos examines the following scenarios:

Three years ago, fiery young Greek radical opposition lefty Alexis Tsipras climbed onto a tractor to give a speech to hundreds of cheering farmers. He vowed to crush harsh reforms leading to nowhere.

Labour Minister Giorgos Katrougalos lashed out at Proto Thema newspaper and its online version protothema.gr accusing them of misinforming the public and denied publications according to which Greece’s lenders have asked for new pension cuts.

Labor Minister George Katrougalos, Rural Development Minister Evangelos Apostolou and Alternate Finance Minister Tryfon Alexiadis are holding a press conference on farmers’ tax and the social security system.

On Thursday, more than 6,000 white-collar professionals staged a protest rally against proposed pension reforms called for by the country’s creditors. Lawyers, doctors, pharmacists, engineers and other self-employed professionals marched while waving their neckties and decorating these on a tree of ties outside Greek Parliament.