“We don’t need Minhausen for a prime minister. We want a prime minister to support investment and the Greek defense industry, “said SYRIZA President Socrates Famellos.

More specifically, in his speech to the workers of the ODA (Greek Air Industry), he said:

“Dear President, dear friends and friends, for me it is an honor to be in an industrial space, in a workplace. And why my family has grown me so and I have many experiences from both my profession and my father from such workplaces. It is SYRIZA’s choice to be in an industrial workplace and much more in our country’s defense industry, in the ODA. Because we believe we need to have a strong Greek defense industry. And I want to make this clear quotes: both for the homeland and the economy and for workers we must have a strong Greek defense industry. I think it is dangerous – and not only hypocritical – that tomorrow Mr Mitsotakis is coming to Parliament to discuss the country’s defense programs equipment and planning when the Greek Defense Industry has been left out of the latest equipment contracts. It is at least hypocritical, if not dangerous.

And I want to say it quotes, because these conversations are made with confidentiality. They are not in the plenary of the House, so in front of everyone’s eyes and ears when you talk about the country’s planning. Only if you want to take advantage of it, such as Mr Mitsotakis, it is in the plenary of the House. But, in any case, we will talk openly in front of you. We absolutely want to have Greece’s new investment in defense industry: both for the country’s defense and the product for the economic and for employees.

And here at the ODA we discussed with the administration and told them – you heard, President – and what new investments will be made to be viable and after ten years the business. And in the new defense technology, in innovation, to stay here for scientists, Greeks and Greeks, but also for the future of the country. This business has been 50 years, it wants new investments. And we also asked about work because we were told that 60% of employees are a fixed -term, they are contractors. So the job planning is also absent, to have permanent positions. But they themselves admitted that the issue of the payroll does not help the operation of the business. Since Greece came out of the memorandums and bankruptcy, what does we mind to have better salaries and a better collective agreement, to have a better defense industry?

So I challenge Mr Mitsotakis today, who went to the Ministry of Labor April April, to give a better collective agreement with better terms of employment and remuneration, so that employees could have a better pay and administration, who requested better performance. So here are both Greece and the administration and the employees. This is the solution, girlfriends and friends.

Today he went to the Ministry of Labor and like April April – because it is April April – he said he would be given 1.3 euros a day to the minimum, and he says, a 13th salary for the civil servant. Two lies together. Well, we don’t need Minhausen for the country’s prime minister. We want a prime minister who invests both in jobs and investment and the Greek defense industry.

I have been informed – this is not the first time, President, you know why I have come to the Labor Center several times lately, at least three times, on employment issues at the EAC. And I want to tell you that along with the SYRIZA and the Political Secretariat, we were next to the ODA and we will be with the OAB. When we were a government, we planned here to upgrade the F-16s and now we asked today to be the ODA in the country’s subsequent programs.

The strong defense industry also means defense and better working conditions and the security of course, because this is crucial, we have put it today. With the same consequence that we have proven-and not only as words of the air-that we support both the ODA and the worker, the SYRIZA-PS will continue to support both the ODA and your workers and your region.

Thank you very much. I wish health and progress. Be well.‘