GREECE: Athens comes to a standstill and streets pile up with garbage as transport employees and rubbish collectors go on strike

Record ID: 340560

  • Title: GREECE: Athens comes to a standstill and streets pile up with garbage as transport employees and rubbish collectors go on strike
  • Date: 11th October 2011
  • Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (OCTOBER 10, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CITY BUSES PARKED IN DEPOT METRO STATION GATES CLOSED VARIOUS OF CLOSED METRO GATE SIGN ON GATE READING: "DUE TO METRO STRIKE METRO WILL NOT BE RUNNING TODAY" VARIOUS OF EMPTY TRAM TRACKS TRAM PLATFORM EMPTY BENCH AT TRAM STATION EMPTY OF PASSENGERS VARIOUS OF TROLLIES PARKED IN THE GARAGE VARIOUS OF TRAFFIC J
  • Embargoed: 26th October 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece, Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAEOGW9HMSKB0DZ16AIDWC7P8T9
  • Story Text: Transport workers staged their sixth strike in two weeks on Monday (October 10), once again burdening commuters and causing traffic jams while garbage piled up on the streets from a strike by municipal workers.
    Athens Metro gates remained closed, bus station and tram platforms were empty as drivers and pedestrians were struggling to make their way into the city centre. The situation was further burdened by the heavy rain.
    In the streets garbage spilled out of rubbish bins, the rain carrying it away, making it harder for pedestrians to cross the roads.
    Despite the chaos, many Athens residents were sympathetic toward the strikers.
    Asked whether the ongoing stoppages were a hassle, one Athenian, Constantinos said: "a bit. But we can walk a bit, it's not a problem. Everyone has a right to strike, so when they strike we have to walk."
    "It's worth it, isn't it? I mean what else does Europe want from us anyway? Whatever they do we will never become India or Pakistan. Greeks have suffered a lot," added fellow Athenian, Constantinos Boukis.
    Transport workers are opposed to wage reductions in their sector resulting from a government austerity package and feared job cuts.
    All state transport companies will be merged resulting in transfers and possible layoffs through the government's programme.
    The protesting transport workers said the layoffs were unfair and were causing despair among the workers who after a lifetime in the job faced unemployment.
    Municipal workers stopped collecting garbage since October 5, the day of a general strike by civil servants. The walkout will continue through the week.
    The workers are protesting over some 100 temporary contract workers that have already been let go, more job cuts that are expected, and further cuts to their wages.
    Municipal workers have also blocked the entrances to garbage dumps to stop trucks from unloading.
    The strikes come as EU, IMF and ECB mission chiefs meet Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos on Monday morning with the intention of concluding talks on a key aid tranche, a source close to the negotiations said.
    The mission chiefs will then likely issue a joint statement on Monday or Tuesday, to conclude their visit.
    Once this is done, inspectors will prepare reports for euro zone finance ministers and the IMF's board, who will decide on the aid tranche.
    Athens could run out of cash as soon as mid-November without the new eight billion euro aid installment, increasing the risk of a default that would drag the euro zone deeper into a debt crisis already shaking financial markets worldwide.
    Senior officials from the so-called troika of EU, IMF and ECB inspectors said last week they expected to conclude their review soon but first wanted to receive more details on the implementation and impact of plans to slash the public sector workforce and increase taxes to plug a bigger-than-targeted fiscal gap.
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