GREECE: General strike shuts down much of Greece

Record ID: 340932

  • Title: GREECE: General strike shuts down much of Greece
  • Date: 18th October 2012
  • Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (OCTOBER 18, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CENTRAL ATHENS SYNTAGMA SQUARE WITH POSTERS ANNOUNCING STRIKE AND PARLIAMENT IN THE BACKGROUND MORE OF POSTER STREET WITH POSTERS ANNOUNCING STRIKE (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) ATHENS RESIDENT PETROS, 55, CIVIL SERVANT, SAYING: "I join strikes and I believe that these austerity measures are too much for the Greek people to bea
  • Embargoed: 2nd November 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: Economy,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA8Z48I8A7PFJWANPDPR1099W4Z
  • Story Text: Greek public and private sector workers go on a nationwide 24-hour strike shutting down transport, offices, shops, schools and services.

    Greek workers walked off the job on Thursday (October 18) for the second time in three weeks to protest a new wave of wage and pension cuts demanded by foreign lenders, bringing much of the near-bankrupt country to a standstill.
    Ships stayed moored at the docks, hospitals brought in emergency staff, schools were closed and public transport was disrupted, while most business and public sector activity ground to a halt during the 24-hour strike called by the ADEDY and GSEE unions, with newspaper kiosk owners and air traffic controllers among various groups joining the protest.
    Mired in its worst post-World War II downturn, Greece is readying 11.5 billion euros of cuts to appease the so-called troika of European Union and International Monetary Fund and secure the next tranche of its 130-billion-euro bailout.
    Unions are hoping to send a message to EU leaders meeting in Brussels that the cuts - which also include a drastic reduction in welfare and health spending - will only worsen the plight of a populace worn down by five years of recession.
    "I join strikes and I believe that these austerity measures are too much for the Greek people to bear, and I think they should have a say in things," said 55-year-old civil Petros.
    "People are right to be angry, but I don't know whether this way of protesting is the right one, and whether it will bring results. I have my doubts about that," said 49-year-old consultant Thomas Mourelatos walking past Parliament on his way to work.
    Several marches are expected to culminate in demonstrations outside parliament, which in the past have triggered violent clashes between police and protesters.
    Police put up metal fences outside parliament on the central Syntagma square and about 4,000 policemen are expected to be deployed on the streets.
    The latest polls show rising anger against the bailout keeping the economy afloat as Greeks become increasingly pessimistic about their country's future.
    But with Greece due to run out of money next month, Athens has little choice but to push through the 11.5 billion euro austerity package being discussed with lenders despite the vehement public opposition.
    Greece and the troika both say they have agreed on most issues, and Athens is expected to ultimately secure aid needed to avoid bankruptcy given Europe's determination to avoid fresh market turmoil that drags down bigger economies like Spain and Italy.
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