Solidarity with European Workers (lots of photos)

[TBF]

The past couple of months in Europe have been active with protests against austerity measures. This is how it's done - in France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Bulgaria, Latvia, and Poland.

The voices of workers:

[marmar]

1. Vivan los trabajadores de Europa.....Unitan !!!!

[Starry Messenger]

2. k & r

[malaise]

3. K & R

Lovely pics

Solidarity forever!

[TBF]

5. Sometimes it can be lonely being a leftist in Texas -

these pics remind me that there are people worldwide who agree with rights for workers.

[blindpig]

4. Yehaw!

That's the way to do it. It ain't like we never knew how:


1937 Auto Workers strike

Remember this when they come after our Social Security, they will.

[TBF]

6. Thank you for that addition -

they will come for Social Security - I expect it in the next two years. We must be ready to fight.

[SocialistLez]

7. I wish I was there to help.

[TBF]

8. The unrest continues in France -

Unrest continues in France as the government debates a reform to France's retirement system that has sparked more than a week of action targeting transport. Demonstrators blocked access to Marseille airport and continue to block fuel depots halting gas supplies.

Government plan

France's Labor minister, Eric Woerth spelled out the financial benefits of the government's retirement reform program to the Senate. He outlined the billions of Euros that will be saved, saying that is essential in today's economy to address France's deficit.

The proposal to raise the retirement age by two years, to 62, has sparked mass protests, including a day of demonstrations last Tuesday that brought at least a million people onto the streets, the unions that called the strikes claim 3.5 million demonstrated. Another day of mass action could come next week...

More at link: http://www.voanews.com/english/news/French-Protesters-Block-Airport-Road-105423283.html

[Panaconda]

9. K&R

[blindpig]

10. French gov't undercuts Senate on retirement bill

French gov't undercuts Senate on retirement bill

PARIS — The French government is short-circuiting a protracted debate in the Senate on a bill raising the retirement age to 62, brushing aside some 250 amendments.

Faced with widespread protests against the bill, the government is ordering Senators to vote on a package of its own design, using Article 44-3 of the Constitution that allows it to step into the parliamentary debate.

Senators can still present the remaining 250 amendments - of some 1,000 - but they cannot vote on each one.

Labor Minister Eric Woerth said Thursday the debate is in the third week, and "it's time for the Senate to act."

The Senate vote is expected by week's end. The text then goes to a parliamentary committee before returning to each chamber for a final vote next week.

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/10/21/1387085/french-protesters-block-marseille.html

[TBF]

11. Sarkozy and I must define "troublemaker" differently -

"It is not troublemakers who will have the last word in a democracy," Sarkozy told local officials in central France, promising to find and punish rioters. He accused strikers of "taking the economy, businesses, daily life hostage."

Read more: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/10/21/1387085/french-protesters-block-marseille.html#ixzz130jLIDy4

[blindpig]

12. President Bling Bling got it ass backwards

the troublemakers do have the last word, sooner or later.

[TBF]

13. Two more days of strikes in France -

France's main unions called for two further days of strike action against a planned overhaul of the pension system that has triggered the biggest and most sustained anti-austerity protests in Europe.

With a final Senate vote on the bill drawing near, the country's six main unions signalled their determination to fight on even after the passage of the legislation, calling a seventh and eighth day of protests for October 28 and November 6.

"The government bears full and total responsibility for the further protests in light of its intransigent attitude, failure to listen and repeated provocations," the unions said in a joint statement, after a day of negotiations in Paris.

Earlier on Thursday, President Nicolas Sarkozy's government said it would use a special measure to speed the reform bill's passage through the Senate with a final vote expected on Friday, to howls of foul-play from the opposition benches...

More at link: http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/4262597/Two-more-days-of-strikes-in-France

[blindpig]

14. Are the French a bunch of lazy slackers?

Nope

http://www.english.rfi.fr/economy/20101020-are-french-bunch-lazy-slackers

[maryf]

15. k&r nt

[TBF]

16. French students protesting unemployment -

Gus Lubin | Oct. 21, 2010, 9:15 AM


Thousands of French students are joining the retirement strike today. But it's not because they care about retiring in 2050 as opposed to 2052.

This is a strike about unemployment.


France's youth unemployment rate is 25%, more than double the national rate of 10%. As with the rest of the developed world, it's been growing for years.

Delaying retirement for two years means fewer job vacancies for students.


Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/why-students-are-protesting-france-2010-10#ixzz133BEgz2V

[maryf]

17. Good way to start my morning...

solidarity!!! and a kick!!