The myth of the “lazy Greek workers”

Since the crisis in Greece has hit the headlines there have appeared in the bourgeois media many stories about how Greece has too many civil servants, how the working week is very short, how people retire early on fat pensions, and so on, as if this were the cause of the crisis. Facts and figures, however, can be very stubborn things and they tell a completely different story.

During the last few days we have witnessed an unprecedented smear campaign against the Greek working class by the European bourgeois media, in particular by the tabloid press, which is specifically aimed at working class people. This campaign is aimed at deceiving the European workers and its objective is clearly to prevent them from assuming internationalist action of class solidarity towards the working class of Greece, which is being brutally attacked by both Greek and foreign capitalists.

The first myth being promoted in this campaign goes more or less like this: “these lazy Greek people,

Dozens of MPs seek wage hikes

 A total of 284 legal suits have been lodged since 2008 by MPs

The amount sought by MPs seeking salary hikes is estimated at 70 million euros.

Just a few days after it emerged that several former MPs suing for retroactive pensions had dropped their claims following a public and political outcry at such claims being made during a period of austerity, Kathimerini has learned that dozens more deputies have lodged legal appeals over the past few years seeking salary hikes.

According to sources, a total of 284 legal suits have been lodged with the Athens Court of First Instance since 2008 by MPs demanding that their salaries be increased to the level of Supreme Court judges. The value of each deputy’s claims is in the region of 250,000 euros, the sources said. The overall amount sought is estimated at 70 million euros.