Active and retired civil servants cheered when they heard deputy Labor Minister Tassos Petropoulos announcing that they will receive extra money as a one-off Easter bonus. But their joy was of short duration. Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos cut their winfs in zero time.
Speaking on news247 FM, Petropoulos said that the government was considering an Easter bonus for civil servants and public sector pensioners and that the decision would be announced by prime minister Alexis Tsipras.
When Tasakalotos asked about the issue he said it was the first time he was hearing about it.
Also sources close to Tsipras said that there was no such plan.
Media had speculated that the labor ministry had earmarked 658 million euros for civil servants and public sector pensioners.
Christmas and Easter/Summer holiday bonuses were cut for civil servants and pensioners of public and private sector pensioners after the first bailout agreement in 2010. These bonuses are still granted only to private sector employees.
It is most likely that the Prime Minister prepares a series of benefits to citizens ahead of the elections.
But why only for public sector employees and pensioners, when everybody knows that it is the private sector that suffers?
