VARIOUS: GREECE FACES A NEW WAVE OF STRIKES IN PROTEST AGAINST THE RULING SOCIALISTS TAX INTENSIVE ECONOMIC POLICIES
Record ID:
342132
VARIOUS: GREECE FACES A NEW WAVE OF STRIKES IN PROTEST AGAINST THE RULING SOCIALISTS TAX INTENSIVE ECONOMIC POLICIES
- Title: VARIOUS: GREECE FACES A NEW WAVE OF STRIKES IN PROTEST AGAINST THE RULING SOCIALISTS TAX INTENSIVE ECONOMIC POLICIES
- Date: 17th December 1996
- Summary: ATHENS AND UNIDENTIFIED LOCATIONS, GREECE (DECEMBER 17, 1996/RECENT) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) ATHENS (DECEMBER 17, 1996) 1. SV PRESIDENT OF PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYEES UNION GIANNIS KOUTSOUKOS SPEAKING ON MICROPHONE TO CROWD/ PROTESTERS LISTENING (3 SHOTS) 0.13 2. SV/LV PUBLIC SERVANTS MARCHING AND CHANTING WITH BANNERS (5 SHOTS) 0.43 3. SV SECURITY GUARDS MARCH AHEAD OF PROTESTERS 0.45 4. SCU KOUTSOUKOS SAYING "THERE IS ROOM FOR SATISFYING OUR DEMANDS THE GOVERNMENT JUST HAS TO COME UP WITH ANSWERS TO OUR PROBLEMS." (GREEK) 1.00 5. LV PROTESTERS MARCHING WITH BANNERS / CHANTING 1.06 6. SV KOUTSOUKOS MEETING WITH ECONOMY MINISTER YANNOS PAPANDONIOU (3 SHOTS) 1.24 UNIDENTIFIED lOCATION (RECENT) 7. LV FARMERS AT BLOCKADES (4 SHOTS) 1.42 ATHENS (DECEMBER 17, 1996) 8. LV PAPANDONIOU IN HIS OFFICE 1.47 9. SV PAPANDONIOU SAYING "THE POSITION OF THE GOVERNMENT IS CLEAR, WE SHALL NOT GIVE IN. THERE IS NO ROOM FOR CONCESSIONS TO FARMERS. OF COURSE THERE ARE REASONABLE DEMANDS THAT ARE BEING MET, BUT NO MORE THAN THAT. AT ANY RATE WE ARE NOT IN A POSITION TO DISCUSS WITH THEM WHILE THEY ARE BLOCKING THE ROADS." (ENGLISH) 2.10 UNIDENTIFIED LOCATIONS (RECENT) 10. LV NIGHT TIME VIEWS OF FARMERS EATING AND DRINKING ON ROADSIDE BY PARKED FARM VEHICLES (4 SHOTS) 2.30 11. SV FARMERS' REPRESENTATIVE YANNIS NASIKAS SAYING THE FARMERS WILL HEAD TO ATHENS IN BUSES ON THURSDAY WITH THEIR WIVES AND CHILDREN. (GREEK) 2.42 12. LV EXT CLOSED SCHOOLS, EMPTY SWINGS, AS PART OF TEACHERS STRIKE (3 SHOTS) 2.52 13. LV/SV BOATS TIED AT PORTS, AS PART OF SEAMEN'S STRIKE (4 SHOTS) 3.12 14. GV PARLIAMENT IN SESSION (3 SHOTS) 3.36 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
- Embargoed: 1st January 1997 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ATHENS AND UNIDENTIFIED LOCATIONS, GREECE
- City:
- Country: Greece
- Reuters ID: LVA7ODITTWLKV53HI5CK1TC13K7C
- Story Text: INTRO: Greece faced a new wave of strikes to protest against the ruling socialists' tax-intensive economic policies as a farmers' road blockade crippled land transport for the 20th day.
Greece's socialist government faced a wave of protests against its austerity policies on Tuesday (December 17), hours before a tough 1997 budget was due to go to parliament.
Doctors, civil servants, diplomats and seamen stopped work to protest against the tax-heavy budget while farmers vowed to press on with a 20-day-old road blockade and march on Athens on Thursday.
Hundreds of civil servants shouting anti-government slogans marched through central Athens to parliament, where a five-day debate on the budget begins Tuesday evening.
Seaman pressed on with a two-day strike, halting commercial transport and tourist ferries.
The budget has angered workers by clamping down on state hiring, limiting wage rises for another year, levying new taxes and eliminating hundreds of tax breaks.
The president of Public Sector Employees Union Giannis Koutsoukos met Economics Minister Yannos Papandoniou to discuss workers' demands.
Papandoniou said the government would not give in to farmers' demands unless they werre reasonable, and in any case, at the moment no discussions were taking place while the farmers were blocking road trasnport.
The farmers want lower fuel prices, higher price supports, lower Value Added Tax (VAT) on their equipment and rescheduling of debts.
They vowed on Monday to press on with their blockades and to march on Athens on Thursday.
Prime Minister Costas Simitis, who won September elections, has said the tough budget was essential to meet economic targets so Greece can join a single European currency by the year 2001.
He has refused to meet any demands and boldly told the farmers he would only meet them after they abandon their crippling road blockades.
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