Polakis spars in public with hospital workers chief

Alternate Health Minister Pavlos Polakis and the president of the national union of public hospital workers (POEDIN), Michalis Yiannakos, argued in public on Thursday over who would speak through the bullhorn during a demonstration by cleaners from hospitals around the country outside the Health Ministry in Athens.

Footage showed Yiannakos shouting and trying to take the bullhorn from a resistant Polakis as the latter was addressing the crowd of demonstrators, saying that only his ministry was working in their interest.

Cleaners are seeking permanent hirings at hospitals or an extension to their contracts.

POEDIN called a work stoppage at hospitals on Thursday morning in a gesture of solidarity with the cleaners.