Athens News Agency: News in English, 04-01-17

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Greece has low infant mortality rate

[02] Unions seek 8.0 pct pay rise, cut in working hours for 2004

[03] Voters want to see radical shift in ruling party policy

[04] Weather Forecast: Warmer on Sunday

[05] Foreign Exchange Rates: Monday

[01] Greece has low infant mortality rate

NEW YORK (ANA/P.Panagiotou) - Greece has one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the world, ranking third along with 11 other mostly European countries, according to data released by UNICEF.

The vaccination rate in Greece for babies under a year old falls slightly below many other European countries, the worldwide UNICEF report said.

[02] Unions seek 8.0 pct pay rise, cut in working hours for 2004

Unions are seeking a wage rise of 8.0 per cent for 2004, accompanied by fewer working hours, the head of the the country's largest umbrella trade union group said on Saturday.

''This year, the 40-hour barrier has to go. Our inviolable limit is 39 hours for 2004,'' said Christos Polyzogopoulos, head of the General Confederation of Employees of Greece (GSEE), which represents around 800,000 workers.

''There are companies that could apply a shorter working week now, even 35 hours,'' Polyzogopoulos told reporters after a meeting with the president of the republic, Costis Stephanopoulous.

Polyzogopoulos backs a 35-hour working week, a demand also heard in other European countries, as a means of redistributing labour and easing unemployment.

[03] Voters want to see radical shift in ruling party policy

Voters want to see a radical shift in policies of ruling PASOK if Foreign Minister George Papandreou takes the party's helm, according to an opinion poll released on Saturday.

Conducted by Metron Analysis for the Ta Nea newspaper, 54.2 per cent of respondents said they wanted Papandreou to usher in a complete change in policy; while 35.4 per cent sought a continuation of policies implemented by Prime Minister Costas Simitis, accompanied by certain changes.

Asked whether they had more confidence in PASOK led by Papandreou for the next four-year government term, or in the main opposition New Democracy party led by Costas Karamanlis, 43.4 per cent opted for the ruling party and 39.5 per cent for ND.

In a poll commissioned by the Eleftherotypia newspaper from Opinion, 38.5 per cent of respondents said they believed PASOK was the best able to govern; and 37.8 per cent chose ND.

[04] Weather Forecast: Warmer on Sunday

Fair weather is forecast in most parts of the country, with a slight rise in temperature. Showers will fall in the northwest. Winds southwesterly. Temperatures in Athens 6C to 16C and in Thessaloniki 0C to 12C.

[05] Foreign Exchange Rates: Monday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.259

Pound sterling 0.693

Danish kroner 7.508

Swedish kroner 9.263

Japanese yen 133.5

Swiss franc 1.579

Norwegian kroner 8.669

Cyprus pound 0.591

Canadian dollar 1.631

Australian dollar 1.638

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