03/09/14

[Maik]

http://civilprotection.gr

[Maik]

Pension system nears breaking point

The ticking time bomb of the social security system will not explode in 2025, but 10 years earlier, or next year, according to a study by the Institute of Labor of the General Confederation of Greek Labor (INE/GSEE) which is to be presented in Thessaloniki on Thursday.

GSEE’s annual report on the Greek economy includes a chapter on the aging population and the sustainability of the social security system from 2013 to 2050. Its conclusions, which Kathimerini has seen, say that the prolonged recession and high unemployment have brought forward the pension system’s crumbling point by a decade and that in order to become viable the system requires additional resources of 950 million euros for 2016 alone.

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite2_1_02/09/2014_542604

[Maik]

British teen drowns in Ayia Napa swimming pool 'littered with rubbish' and is only noticed when female swimmer trips over his sunken body during late night party

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2740626/British-teen-drowns-Ayia-Napa-swimming-pool-littered-rubbish-noticed-female-swimmer-trips-sunken-body-late-night-party.html


Interesting read about an unlicenced hotel. As the distraught parents say, "'On the one hand the hotel continues to welcome unsuspecting holiday makers, into their illegally operating premises. On the other hand, none of the responsible authorities have taken any further measures in closing them down."

Welcome to paradise

[Maik]

Might be of interest to Phil, and one or two others:

Windows XP is no longer receiving support, and Microsoft warns that without security updates and patches, a computer running this operating system could easily be hacked by someone who finds an unpatched vulnerability.

But as far as security experts at anti-virus testing institute AV-TEST are concerned, everything should be just fine as long as you run third-party protection that’s fully updated on your computer.

What’s more, they say that nobody predicts a massive attack against Windows XP users anytime soon, pointing out that there’s indeed a risk that without OS updates, the system could get hacked.

http://news.softpedia.com/news/No-Massive-Attack-on-Windows-XP-Expected-Anytime-Soon-Security-Experts-Say-457364.shtml


This is how well security packages protect porous XP systems

[Aristarches]

British teen drowns in Ayia Napa swimming pool 'littered with rubbish' and is only noticed when female swimmer trips over his sunken body during late night party

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2740626/British-teen-drowns-Ayia-Napa-swimming-pool-littered-rubbish-noticed-female-swimmer-trips-sunken-body-late-night-party.html


Interesting read about an unlicenced hotel. As the distraught parents say, "'On the one hand the hotel continues to welcome unsuspecting holiday makers, into their illegally operating premises. On the other hand, none of the responsible authorities have taken any further measures in closing them down."


I warned you about swimming pools!!!
Welcome to paradise

[HiFi]

That's someone's son.

[Maik]

That's someone's son.

Might be just my opinion but there are too many young people dying in Greece (OK, this was Cyprus) who don't get the justice they deserve. How many's too many? Any number from one up. And there's been more than one. As I said, maybe JMO.

[Aristarches]

Controlling the quality of accommodation  is very difficult in countries that do not have the same health and safety regulations or the same developed laws concerning negligence as we do in the UK. 

In the UK the hotel would be subject to many regulations which would include pool safety.  These regulations would be backed up by inspections by government and local authorities.  If these regulations are ignored and the hotel continues to operate and an accident occurs the hotel will be investigated by the appropriate authority and the injured party or, as in this case, the relatives, can sue the owners of the hotel.  The fact that the hotel was found to have ignored H&S regulations would, prima facie, make the hotel liable for the death or injury.  The hotel would, more than likely, be closed down.

There are many things wrong with the H&S and blame culture in the UK but they do help keep us safe from terrible incidents like this.

The dreaded EC is trying to standardise the laws on such but there isn't much that can be done if individual countries pay lip service to the rules and do nothing about introducing them.

One step that could be taken is that all tour companies and multi national hotel chains be made directly responsible for the death or injury to guests.  These companies could then be sued in the country of domicile of the injured party in accordance with that countries laws.  This would stop companies metaphorically shrugging their shoulders and saying "Nothing to do with me mate".  Some countries have already done this but it should be introduced in all EC countries.

Not a solution but a step towards one, perhaps. IMHO   

[Maik]

Package tour companies aren't immune from prosecution, remember the Louis Corfu gas poisoning tragedy. The Greek prosecutor went after the owners, manager, maintenance man and the travel reps.

Reps have to compile regualr H&S reports although to some extent this is just lip service, IMO.

But I doubt e.g. booking.com have the same requirements.

[Aristarches]

I agree, certain high profile cases will be taken up by the authorities but the vast majority of incidents are swept under the carpet.  This isn't a problem specific to Greece.  These incidents occur world wide.