In a symbolic move, the new Greek government has hired almost 600 laid-off government cleaners, mostly women, who had been protesting outside the finance and economy ministries. They were laid off in 2013 as part of an austerity measure to meet demands by international lenders for the Greek bailout. Greece’s new finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, announced the decision.

Yanis Varoufakis: “One of our first moves will be the immediate cutting of costs at the ministry — for example, the number of advisers — and this spending cut will fund the rehiring of the cleaning ladies at the ministry. It will be a symbolic first move.”