GREECE: Strikes paralyse the country as protests mount amid austerity vote

Record ID: 338913

  • Title: GREECE: Strikes paralyse the country as protests mount amid austerity vote
  • Date: 21st October 2011
  • Summary: PIRAEUS, GREECE (OCTOBER 20, 2011) (REUTERS) STRANDED SHIPS AT PORT VARIOUS OF EMPTY PLATFORMS VARIOUS OF HARBOURED FERRIES ATHENS, GREECE (OCTOBER 20, 2011) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF HOSPITAL HOSPITAL SIGN ENTRANCE TO HOSPITAL STAFF STANDING AT ENTRANCE TO HOSPITAL WITH BANNER ANNOUNCING STRIKE VARIOUS OF EXTERIORS OF CLOSED SCHOOL ON STRIKE VARIOUS OF GARBAGE FALLI
  • Embargoed: 5th November 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece, Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: Economy,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA97YYUXHQ5V50752WGGQ923SFV
  • Story Text: Greece's nationwide strike entered a second day on Thursday (October 20) and Athens prepared for another showdown between police and angry protesters as the government was set to vote on the details of deeply unpopular austerity package needed to stave off bankruptcy.
    The 48-hour strike was called by Greece's main unions against plans to pile more taxes on austerity-hit Greeks and put tens of thousands of state workers on the road to redundancy. It shut down ministries, government offices and business, as well as schools, food stores and trains. Ships remained docked at the harbour and hospitals worked on skeleton staff.
    Athens central square bore the scars of Wednesday's riots with people walking through burnt-out kiosks, shattered glass and other debris.
    Tens of thousands of protesters are expected to rally outside the parliament for a second day after black-clad youths clashed with riot police on Wednesday (October 19), pelting them with petrol bombs and chunks of marble during an anti-austerity march that drew more than 100,000 protesters.
    The first wave of protesters began to flock to the parliament early on Thursday with hundreds of workers of the communist labour union marching on the focal place of rallies with flags and banners.
    "The battle continues, we all know these measures, it can't get worse than this, the workers still hope for a victory, the only thing that is left for us now is a victory and democracy for people," said 46-year-old worker Vagelis Souras.
    One of the communist union leaders, Christos Katsonis, vowed to continue fight against the new measures.
    "The bill may have been passed in principle but the workers will still be here today and will demand in their masses with their determination and with their slogans that the articles (of the austerity package) are not passed," he said.
    Many more are expected to join them later in the day and will try to stay on the square till late at night, while lawmakers vote on the bill.
    Greece's parliament is expected to give a final green light late in the day to the belt-tightening plan required by the EU and the IMF, after backing it in principle in a first reading on Wednesday despite the country's biggest labour action in years.
    But some ruling party MPs have warned they may vote against one of the bill's most controversial provisions, threatening to weaken the beleaguered government's narrow majority as it battles a debt crisis that is shaking global markets.
    Analysts expect the protests to continue unabated as Greeks of all walks of life have become increasingly angry at measures they feel only hurt the poorest while tax evaders and corrupt politicians remain unaffected.
    But commentators see no other option for the ruling Socialists, who hold 154 seats in the 300-strong assembly, than to pass the measures, a key condition to convince the EU and IMF ahead of a crunch summit on Sunday (October 23) that Greece deserves to keep getting the loans it needs to avoid bankruptcy.
    The bill foresees an average income cut of about 20 percent for public sector workers, according to estimates by public sector labour unions, and reduces the tax-free income threshold.
    It will make it easier for firms to cut payroll costs by reaching company-level wage agreements, which has particularly angered some ruling party lawmakers.
    Prime Minister George Papandreou will hold a cabinet meeting at around 0900 GMT, ahead of the parliamentary vote and of Sunday's EU summit.
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