- Title: EUROZONE-GREECE/PROTESTS Thousands of Greeks rally against austerity
- Date: 23rd June 2015
- Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (JUNE 23, 2015) (REUTERS) PENSIONERS AND WORKERS CARRYING BANNERS AND UNION FLAGS AT ANTI-AUSTERITY PROTEST, LISTENING TO SPEECH BY UNION MEMBERS PROTESTERS WITH BANNER, READING (Greek): "Let's fight - Uprise" VARIOUS OF PROTESTING WORKERS AND PENSIONERS AT DEMONSTRATION RED FLAG WITH PORTRAIT OF CHE GUEVARA PENSIONERS FROM NORTHERN GREECE HOLDING BANNER AND
- Embargoed: 8th July 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Greece
- Country: Greece
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA8DI8QZJOC3FAD5ALADK574AYC
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: An estimated 7,000 Greeks from the communist-affiliated trade union PAME as well as pensioners' associations demonstrated against austerity in Athens on Tuesday (June 23).
Chanting, "We cannot live on 400 euros a month", they accused the ruling Syriza party of selling out the the people by conceding to international lenders' demands for pension cuts and tax hikes to unfreeze funds in proposals tabled to eurozone leaders on Monday (June 22).
Syriza was voted in on an anti-austerity ticket, promising to roll back painful reforms introduced by international lenders as part of the bailout conditions.
But under threat of default if Greece failed to pay an IMF loan due in a week's time, Syriza made a u-turn on pledges not to impose tax hikes or hurt pensions in its latest proposals.
"We've paid enough, we've bled enough! We owe it to life and to our children to resist," PAME said in a statement.
Pensioners at the protest expressed their fears that they would be the targets of austerity measures imposed in order to clinch a deal with lenders.
"Even if there are no cuts to pensions but everything gets more expensive, for example the increase of value added tax (VAT) in electricity, what are pensioners supposed to do? How much more will the pensions be reduced? Sixty per cent of pensioners get about 500 euros, sixty per cent," said 78-year-old pensioner Yannis Koumouras.
"When they ask you to pay eight billion euros, who do you think is going to pay for this? The tycoons? The burden will once again fall on our shoulders like all previous times," said 69-year-old pensioner Vassilis Petrakis.
"He [Tsipras] must do his best, for the young generation but also for all the people, so that we can have something to eat. We have shed blood and they keep asking for more and more when we only get 500 [euros]. How will we get by with just 500? After electricity, water and telephone bills, there is nothing left for us," added pensioner Sofia Polychroniadou.
Tsipras met with ministers in his office on Tuesday afternoon. He now needs to keep his leftist Syriza party happy as well as his creditors in order for a deal to stick.
Outspoken Syriza lawmakers voiced outrage at Tsipras's offer to raise a range of taxes as well as pension and healthcare contributions, which threaten to further increase hardship on Greeks.
But others, including his coalition partner Independent Greeks, said they would wait until the full package was unveiled before passing judgement.
Greece needs to spell out what actions it will take before any potential disbursement of bailout money from its European creditors, the European Commission said on Tuesday.
Greece is hoping a funds-for-reforms deal will release the 7.2 billion euros (8.1 billion U.S. dollars) left in Greece's bailout before the end of the month, but national parliaments may only approve the disbursement once the Greeks pass laws to enact their reform promises - a process known as "prior actions".
Greece must repay the International Monetary Fund (IMF) 1.6 billion euros (1.8 billion U.S. dollars) by June 30 or be declared in default. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None