GREECE: Greek judges and other judicial employees start a five-day strike over salary cuts imposed as part of government austerity measures

Record ID: 340886

  • Title: GREECE: Greek judges and other judicial employees start a five-day strike over salary cuts imposed as part of government austerity measures
  • Date: 18th September 2012
  • Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (SEPTEMBER 17, 2012) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF ATHENS COURT OF APPEAL EMPTY COURT ROOM INTERIOR VARIOUS OF EMPTY JUDGES' CHAIRS IN FRONT OF BIBLE IN EMPTY COURTROOM PROTESTING JUDGES INSIDE HALL OF COURT OF APPEAL WHERE JUDGES ARE HOLDING A MEETING AFTER STARTING WORK STOPPAGE VARIOUS OF SUPREME COURT JUDGES AND UNION REPRESENTATIVES SPEAKING TO THE OTHER JUDGES
  • Embargoed: 3rd October 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: Economy,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAB00NBAJMLAIKNPP7S1YPQMDCS
  • Story Text: Greek judges, magistrates and judicial employees walked out of courts on Monday (September 17) at the start of a five day strike to protest against a 12 billion euros austerity cuts package which could see substantial cuts in their salaries.
    The protesting judges held a meeting at the Athens Court of Appeal after beginning their strike which will last for the rest of the working week.
    At the meeting they said although they had not been told how much their wages would be cut in the next wave of austerity measures, they had already lost 40 per cent of their salary in 2010.
    They also complained that much of their work is done outside of normal working hours at home and that they pay for those operational costs themselves, and that their workload is very heavy.
    "We realise the problems that the state is facing. We have contributed, we are not against contributing, but a line has to be drawn, there has to be a limit. They can't completely degrade us" said supreme court prosecuting judge, Emmanuel Papadakis, who is also president of the prosecutors union.
    Urgent court cases are still set to go ahead but everything else is now at a standstill and a backlog is expected.
    "We don't say that the cuts is not something that has to do with us. We have already had about 40 per cent. That means that from now on the situation will be very difficult for a judge to serve his profession in the courts. It's a functional problem." said Panagiotis Liberopoulos, the representative of the union of judges and prosecutors.
    This week a 24 hour transport workers strike is due to hit Athens which will see bus, tram and rail walking out. Municipality workers are also planning to occupy city halls nationwide for several hours in a symbolic protest.
    The industrial action comes as the three inspectors from Troika - the European Union, the European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund - are in Athens to finalise a package of nearly 12 billion euros of cuts which will further slash wages, pensions and benefits.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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