The "rehiring" refers actually to only a relatively small number of employees (~3500) that were unlawfully fired. They went to court and won their case but the

The "rehiring" refers actually to only a relatively small number of employees (~3500) that were unlawfully fired. They went to court and won their case but the previous government still refused to take them back. And because most of them were actually suspended and not really fired they were still receiving 75% of their wages. This means that financially speaking the extra cost is a drop in the ocean. I do not know if Syriza's politics/policies will be successful but keep in mind that most of what is circulating in media, both in Greece and abroad, are usually half-truths and sensationalist journalism. When the crisis started a lot was written about Greece's big government and its spending. After the dust settled down and more dispassionate voices were heard, a good look at the data showed that Greece's government and spending was more or less around the EU average. But by then no one was paying attention.