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Athens News Agency: News in English, 11-08-12
CONTENTS
[01] Summer sales turnover down 25 percent
[02] Longer working week for public sector staff
[01] Summer sales turnover down 25 percent
ANA-MPA/Turnover on the commercial market in the first three weeks of
the extended summer sales period is at least 25 percent lower than last
year, despite hefty discounts, the National Confederation of Greek Trade
(ESEE) said .
Deeply hit by the economic crisis and deep recession, Greek shopowners
were looking to the sales to generate much-needed revenues, which have
dropped sharply in recent months as a result of austerity measures that
have caused shoppers to restrict purchases to the bare necessities, and
are offering reductions as much as 70 percent off original prices.ana-mpa
But turnover nearly midway through the sales period is down an average
25 percent over last summer's already low figures.
[02] Longer working week for public sector staff
ANA-MPA/The new 40-hour working week for Greek public-sector staff
will be launched after the majority return from their summer holidays
next Tuesday, after the August 15 bank holiday. A circular ordering the
implementation of the new working week was sent out by Administration
Reform and e-Government Minister Dimitris Reppas on Thursday.
The working week has been increased from 37.5 hours to 40, making it
the same as that in the private sector, and applies to all permanent
staff in the civil service and local authorities (except in cases where
special regulations call for shorter work hours, such as for staff in
sanitation).ana-mpa
It is also hoped that the additional work hours will help increase the
productivity of services that come into direct and daily contact with
the public.
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