GREECE: Workers block Athens streets in protest over privatisations

Record ID: 338930

  • Title: GREECE: Workers block Athens streets in protest over privatisations
  • Date: 9th October 2008
  • Summary: (W3) ATHENS, GREECE (OCTOBER 8, 2008) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PORT WORKERS WEARING CAPS TAKING PART IN PROTEST PROTESTERS UNFURLING GREEK FLAG AND OLD FLAG OF OLYMPIC AIRLINES PROTESTERS HOLDING LARGE GREEK FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) GEORGE ONOKOUTIDIS, PRESIDENT OF PORT WORKERS UNION, SAYING: "This government only cares about being re-elected and nothing else, not to save publ
  • Embargoed: 24th October 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA6MTPBR62CMLFEZ5IJNMBSL2V
  • Story Text: Port workers, airline employees, and workers from other state-run public companies that are being privatised closed off Athens main streets on Wednesday (October 8) as they marched to parliament shouting criticism of the government's plan to sell off companies at a time of economic insecurity.
    The rally was part of a 24-hour strike by workers organised by one of Greece's largest labour unions, the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE) which represents about 2 million workers.
    "At this time, a time of economic crisis and insecurity, the Greek government's line of action is to sell off state companies," said Lily Dimitriadou, a member of GSEE's governing committee.
    Public transport was halted during the morning rush-hour period forcing thousands of workers to drive to work, clogging main roads and causing kilometres-long traffic jams on the city's main arteries.
    State-carrier Olympic Airlines cancelled 50 flights and will operate only one flight per destination, affecting domestic flights and international routes to destinations like London, Paris, Rome and Frankfurt.
    Inter-city rail services and hospitals will work with emergency staff, while workers at partially-privatised telecoms company OTE and state-run public power company DEH will walk off the job for a few hours.
    The Greek government has already pushed through with the privatisation of ports and state telecoms as part of its economic reform programme, and last week launched a tender to sell off state carrier Olympic Airlines, despite fears over job security by unions.
    "This government only cares about being re-elected and nothing else, not to save public companies which, we believe can operate on their own and be profitable and provide a service to the public," said George Onokoutidis, the president of the port workers union.
    The ruling conservative New Democracy party has fallen behind in the polls, partly over the unpopular reforms.
    The strike comes as industrialists and labour unions said the 2009 draft budget targets, announced on Monday (October 6), were unrealistic and would hurt the poor.
    Although Greece has largely escaped the fallout from the global credit crunch, the effects are starting to be felt as the economic slowdown has prompted the government to raise taxes while wages have remained stagnant despite price rises.
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