governance/political movement: Giorgos Kaminis (Athens), Yannis Boutaris (Thessaloniki), Yannis Dimaras (Patras), Panos Skotiniotis (Volos), and Filippos CFilios (Ioannina).
After a rather prolonged session they decide oon the following announcement:

"The attempt of the "initiative of five"is a political intervention focusing on the local governance and democratic reform and fights against counter-reformation, conservativism, and polarization.

Its main characteristics are institutional and jurisdictional self-governance, emancipation of local self governance from the party and state enstranglement. This intervention by localgovernence aims at re-defining and improving self-governance in the framework of a National Plan that will supercede a post-memoranda era.

The "initiative of five"has set its targets of utmost sinificance:
1. Reform in local governance aiming at command and economic autonomy.
2. Reinforcing development and creation of new jobs.

3.Sosial Policy.

4.Improving the quality of services to citizens.

5. Reinforcing citizen participation in local decisions and activities.

On the basis of these priorities it was decided to organize five themetic interventions with he first at Volos, on 30 October

The aim of the interventions is to formulate complete proposals towards the state and citizens and to contest those changes necessary and crucial for te role of local governance for the benefit of the cities and the citizens of this country."

It must be noted that local elections are slated for May, along with European Parliament elections.

Public servants in the health sector that have been placed on "availability" will be shown the door if they have not tendered applications for transfers to different hospitals by due dates, according to health minister Adonis Georgiadis.

The health minister accused SYRIZA cadres direcly of inciting employees and telling them to desist from tendering applications. "Whoever says such things is dooming workers," Adonis Georgiadis told the Athens News Agency APE.

The minister also stated that the the new bill for pharmaceutical policy will foresee the decrease of particpation of insured persons in the price of their medicines from 25% to 12.5% if they choose a generic drug.

The bill will also foresee incentives for pharmacists that will forego rebates on every package of generic drugs they dispense, and will forego all rebates if the drugs they supply are generic by 60%, or more.

The primary schoolteacher's federation of Greece (DOE) has announced it will be participaating in the strike called by civil servants confederation ADEDY, on 18 and 19 September.On Friday 20 September the federation will meet again to consider further action. Teachers also decided on a three-hour work freeze for 16 September in order to participate in rallies of secondary education teachers. Secondary schoolteachers have decided on rolling five day strikes starting this Monday, while private school teachers will strike on 16 an 17 September.

At the same time, turmoil continues for tertiary education institutions over the issue of non-teaching staff transfers and lay-offs. The University of the Peloponnese has decided to cease functioning starting Monday and for a whole week after a decision by its board protesting proposed government measures.

Unemployment is surging, having reached 27.9% in June, as against 24.6% in June 2012 according to the Hellenic Statistics Authority (ELSTAT). Unemployment for the young (up to 24 years of age) has broken all records reaching 58.8%, while for the age group 25-34 it stands at 37.4%.
The areas hardest hit by unemployment are Epirus, Macedonia, Thrace, and Attica.
The number of employed person during June 2013 stood at a little over 3.6 million, while the unemployed came to 1.2 million. The economically inactive population was 3.3 million, during this time.
However, the rate at which jobs were lost fell slightly year on year in June registering 129,000, a decrease of 3.4%.
Unemploed persons registered with state employment bureau OAED, a portion of those accounted for by ELSTAT, surpassed the 1 million mark, after the agency recently released latest figures, after much delay.