Alternate Defence Minister Vitsas says army could be mobilised to collect rubbish

He says public health above all else

With the capital of Greece buried in garbage, as the refuse collectors are continue their strike, Alternate Minister of National Defence Dimitris Vitsas did not rule the possibility of mobilising army units to clean the rubbish. Mr. Vitsas said public health was top priority, adding that the Greek government was waiting until the workers’ union of POE-OTA reached a decision later Thursday on their course of action. “We are intitially waiting for a reasonable decision to be reached … There is no political mobilisation, it has been abolished, and it was not effective”, Mr. Vitsas said. Commenting on the current situation of municipalities employing workers with limited contracts, he blamed previous governments and the union movement for establishing and supporting this practice.