Supreme Court rules against Finance Ministry cleaners

The Supreme Court has put on hold the ruling by a lower court ordering the Greek Finance Ministry to rehire about 400 sacked cleaners.

The ministry had sought a temporary suspension of last month’s First Instance Court decision, which ruled that the government was wrong to dismiss the workers as part of public sector reforms.

The ministry argued that the First Instance Court does not have the authority to rule on such matters and that the sackings were in the national interest.

Lawyers representing the cleaners, who have been protesting outside the Finance Ministry daily for the past few weeks, argued that the government fired the workers illegally and was wrong not to abide by the court ruling.

According to reports, at least three women were injured as riot police tried to remove protesting cleaners who had gathered in front of the ministry's entrance after the announcement of the decision.

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