Athens: The reinstatement of the cleaning ladies at Greece's Finance Ministry was perhaps the most symbolic measure announced by the new anti-austerity government of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Wednesday.
In news greeted with tears, the women were told they could return to their jobs that were cut in September 2013, as the radical new government began rolling back money-saving measures.
"We've got justice. We were nothing more than mere numbers for the troika but we showed courage and determination," said one of the women, Katerina Kapodistria, employing the terms Greeks use for its creditors the IMF, EU and the European Central Bank.
Several times they clashed with security forces as discontent spilled over into violence on the streets.
The radical Syriza party made the women one of its cause celebres - and on Wednesday, after being swept into government in place of the unpopular conservatives of New Democracy, it kept its promise to put the women back to work.
"History is written through disobedience," shouted one of the women through a megaphone.
"One of our first moves will be an immediate and spectacular reduction in the expenditure of the ministry which will allow the cleaning ladies to have their jobs back," he said.
"Under the new government we expected a better life for the poorest," said Lilly Giannaki.
When Varoufakis strolled into the ministry for the first time, rucksack on his back, he was cheered by the cleaning ladies. For the first time for a long time, the police were nowhere to be seen.
In news greeted with tears, the women were told they could return to their jobs that were cut in September 2013, as the radical new government began rolling back money-saving measures.
"We've got justice. We were nothing more than mere numbers for the troika but we showed courage and determination," said one of the women, Katerina Kapodistria, employing the terms Greeks use for its creditors the IMF, EU and the European Central Bank.
Several times they clashed with security forces as discontent spilled over into violence on the streets.
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The radical Syriza party made the women one of its cause celebres - and on Wednesday, after being swept into government in place of the unpopular conservatives of New Democracy, it kept its promise to put the women back to work.
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"History is written through disobedience," shouted one of the women through a megaphone.
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"One of our first moves will be an immediate and spectacular reduction in the expenditure of the ministry which will allow the cleaning ladies to have their jobs back," he said.
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"Under the new government we expected a better life for the poorest," said Lilly Giannaki.
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When Varoufakis strolled into the ministry for the first time, rucksack on his back, he was cheered by the cleaning ladies. For the first time for a long time, the police were nowhere to be seen.
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