General strike brings Greece to halt in protest over government policies
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5ibtUiBczDhWBa5O9OtszQkLmAZmA
General strike brings Greece to halt in protest over government policies
2 days ago
ATHENS, Greece — Air, rail and ferry traffic have ground to a halt across Greece and many offices have shut down in a general strike.
The country's largest labour union has called the strike to protest the conservative government's economic policies. Riot police fired tear gas to disperse a small group of rock-throwing hooded youths as thousands of demonstrators marched through central Athens.
Many shops along the demonstration route rolled down their shutters, and only minor damage was reported.
Across the country, state hospitals functioned with emergency staff while state schools, universities, post offices and tax offices were closed, as were many banks.
Some 200 domestic and international flights were cancelled while all ferries were confined to port. The state railway company cancelled most train services. Lawyers, journalists and civil engineers were also on strike.
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/128467/General-strike-brings-Greece-to-standstill
General strike brings Greece to standstill
10/21/2008 | 09:07 PM
ATHENS, Greece - Air, rail and ferry traffic ground to a halt across Greece on Tuesday and public offices shut down as workers walked off the job in a general strike to protest the conservative government's economic policies.
Riot police fired tear gas to disperse a small group of rock-throwing hooded youths as thousands of demonstrators marched through central Athens. Many shops along the demonstration route rolled down their shutters, and only minor damage was reported.
Across the country, state hospitals functioned with emergency staff while state schools, universities, post offices and tax offices were closed, as were many banks. Some 200 domestic and international flights were canceled while all ferries were confined to port and the state railway company canceled most train services. Lawyers, journalists and civil engineers were also on strike.
Greece's largest umbrella union, GSEE, claimed hundreds of thousands of workers participated in the 24-hour strike.
"The country has effectively come to a halt," said union spokesman Efstathios Anestis. "Participation is very high, in many sectors it exceeds 90 percent of the work force."
Demonstrators held banners calling for the minimum salary to be raised to €1,400 (about US$1,880) from its current level of €701 (about US$940) and for the government to cancel unpopular reforms to the country's pension system.
Some also protested a recent rescue package under which the government pledged up to €28 billion (US$38.5 billion) to help Greece's banking sector weather the international financial crisis.
"Not one euro to support the capitalists," read one banner.
GSEE, which covers the private sector, and civil service umbrella union ADEDY called the strike to protest recent legislation reforming the country's fragmented pension system. The new law, passed in March, cuts back early retirement rights and merges lucrative pension funds with financially troubled ones.
"We're expressing anger, despair and rage about the policies which give to the few," said GSEE leader Yiannis Panagopoulos.
The two umbrella unions represent some 2.5 million workers between them, or about half of Greece's total work force.
Unions also demand more state social spending, as well as salary and pension increases, and oppose the government's privatization plans, including for state carrier Olympic Airlines.
"Workers face many accumulated problems, mainly financial," Anestis said.
Air traffic controllers walked off the job for four hours from noon, leading Olympic to cancel 150 flights — mostly domestic but including routes to London, Brussels, Rome, Frankfurt and Paris, and private Aegean Airlines to cancel 46 domestic flights.
Athens public bus and metro networks were disrupted by work stoppages, while the capital's tram service was suspended for the whole day.
Commercial stores were to follow suit with their own strike on Wednesday to protest tax laws, vowing to shut down stores across the country for the day. - AP
http://www.winnipegsun.com/News/World/2008/10/21/7153466.html
From the Winnipeg Sun:
Tue, October 21, 2008
General strike brings Greece to halt
Protest over government policies
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ATHENS, Greece — Air, rail and ferry traffic have ground to a halt across Greece and many offices have shut down in a general strike.
The country’s largest labour union has called the strike to protest the conservative government’s economic policies.
Riot police fired tear gas to disperse a small group of rock-throwing hooded youths as thousands of demonstrators marched through central Athens.
Many shops along the demonstration route rolled down their shutters, and only minor damage was reported.
Across the country, state hospitals functioned with emergency staff while state schools, universities, post offices and tax offices were closed, as were many banks.
Some 200 domestic and international flights were cancelled while all ferries were confined to port. The state railway company cancelled most train services. Lawyers, journalists and civil engineers were also on strike.
http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/World/Story/STIStory_293189.html
Oct 21, 2008
Greece sees general strike
ATHENS (Greece) - AIR, rail and ferry traffic ground to a halt across Greece on Tuesday and public offices shut down as workers walked off the job in a general strike to protest the conservative government's economic policies.
Riot police fired tear gas to disperse a small group of rock-throwing hooded youths as thousands of demonstrators marched through central Athens. Many shops along the demonstration route rolled down their shutters, and only minor damage was reported.
Across the country, state hospitals functioned with emergency staff while state schools, universities, post offices and tax offices were closed, as were many banks. Some 200 domestic and international flights were canceled while all ferries were confined to port and the state railway company canceled most train services.
Lawyers, journalists and civil engineers were also on strike.
Greece's largest umbrella union, GSEE, claimed hundreds of thousands of workers participated in the 24-hour strike.
'The country has effectively come to a halt,' said union spokesman Efstathios Anestis. 'Participation is very high, in many sectors it exceeds 90 per cent of the work force.'
Demonstrators held banners calling for the minimum salary to be raised to euro1,400 (about S$2,784) from its current level of euro701 and for the government to cancel unpopular reforms to the country's pension system.
Some also protested a recent rescue package under which the government pledged up to euro28 billion to help Greece's banking sector weather the international financial crisis.
'Not one euro to support the capitalists,' read one banner.
GSEE, which covers the private sector, and civil service umbrella union ADEDY called the strike to protest recent legislation reforming the country's fragmented pension system.
The new law, passed in March, cuts back early retirement rights and merges lucrative pension funds with financially troubled ones.
'We're expressing anger, despair and rage about the policies which give to the few,' said GSEE leader Yiannis Panagopoulos.
The two umbrella unions represent some 2.5 million workers between them, or about half of Greece's total work force.
Unions also demand more state social spending, as well as salary and pension increases, and oppose the government's privatisation plans, including for state carrier Olympic Airlines.
'Workers face many accumulated problems, mainly financial,' Mr Anestis said.
Air traffic controllers walked off the job for four hours from noon, leading Olympic to cancel 150 flights - mostly domestic but including routes to London, Brussels, Rome, Frankfurt and Paris, and private Aegean Airlines to cancel 46 domestic flights.
Athens public bus and metro networks were disrupted by work stoppages, while the capital's tram service was suspended for the whole day.
Commercial stores were to follow suit with their own strike on Wednesday to protest tax laws, vowing to shut down stores across the country for the day. -- AP
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