Greek public sector workers strike as spectre of bailout looms

[cory777]

Source: guardian.co.uk

Graeme Wearden
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 10 February 2010 09.01 GMT

Public sector workers across Greece have begun a nationwide one-day strike in protest at the austerity measures being implemented to try to address the country's financial crisis.

The prime minister, George Papandreou, who is in Paris to discuss the economic crisis with French president Nicolas Sarkozy, has already faced down a protest by farmers demanding higher subsidy payments who staged tractor blockades on Greek highways for nearly three weeks.

It emerged last night that Greece's European partners may be close to agreeing a bailout, with German officials saying a deal had been agreed "in principle". An EU summit in Brussels tomorrow will address the Greek crisis in the hope of containing the growing threat to the eurozone.

Non-urgent hospital appointments have been cancelled, and schools across Greece will remain closed. Air traffic control staff are also taking part in the dispute, meaning flights in and out of the country will be heavily disrupted. Greece's largest airline, Aegean Airways, has suspended all its services, while British Airways has cancelled three scheduled flights from Heathrow to Athens.

Union leaders called the action in protest at Papandreou's plans for spending restraint including cuts in public sector pay and bonuses, and a freeze on hiring new employees.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/feb/10/greek-workers-strike-eu-bailout

[AllentownJake]

1. This is not going to end well

Well it doesn't really matter what they do, ending well is not an option.

[sendero]

2. I wonder..

... just what these folks think they are going to accomplish.

Greece is broke, and striking isn't going to change that one iota.

I wish Americans were more like Greeks in this regard, but not that much like them.

[mojowork_n]

3. It's just a tactical move

Disruptive as it might seem from here, I think they're just making a point ----> that if the EU-brokered agreement compromises the country's national interests, if it's too much of a sell-off, the people might not stand for it.

That's my reading, anyway.

[Odin2005]

4. This is really gonna suck.

:(

[Joanne98]

5. Greek union marches to challenge austerity plan

Source: Reuters

ATHENS, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Thousands of Greek civil servants marched through Athens during a 24-hour strike on Wednesday which shut schools and grounded flights, testing government resolve to tackle a debt crisis which has shaken the euro zone.

Riot police briefly fired teargas at dozens of demonstrators who tried to break a security cordon in central Athens but the protests were mostly peaceful, in a positive sign for investors and EU policymakers who are closely watching the strike.

Financial markets rallied on Wednesday amid talk that the European Union could bail out Greece , but Brussels has repeatedly said the socialist government must stand firm on wage cuts and tax rises in the face of union opposition.

Some 5,000 members of the ADEDY public sector union marched through rain to parliament waving banners reading "We won't pay for the crisis". The 500,000-strong union wants the government to scrap emergency measures including a wage and pension freeze.



Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE6190NM20100210

[mike_c]

6. austerity and belt-tightening for the people, bailouts and bonuses...

...for the bankers. I wish Americans would get as mad as the Greeks are getting about this.