BRUSSELS (MNI) – Greece’s two largest working unions have announced
a massive 24-hour strike that begins at 6:00 local time Thursday to
protest over the new round of 13.5 billion euros worth of measures the
government will be tabling to parliament for approval in the coming
weeks.
The two main unions ADEDY and GSEE, representing public and
private workers, will be demonstrating against more pay cuts, tax hikes
and slashed pensions that the coalition government has agreed to with
the Troika representatives. As stated by a top finance ministry
official, more than 9 billion euros will come from further spending cuts
and the rest will be tax hikes.
All public companies will be shut down. State hospital doctors,
lawyers, state banks, pharmacists, shops and kiosk owners will
participate in the strike. Taxi owners will stop working from 8 a.m. to
5 p.m.. Public transport will shut down.
Air traffic controllers will launch a work stoppage from 10 a.m. to
1 p.m. local time causing flight cancellations and delays. Ships,
ferries and boats will remain in ports for 24 hours.
“The drastic reduction of incomes, the high and irrational taxation
and significant decrease in demand is destroying companies and jobs,”
the workers unions said in a joint statement.
Athens bureau: apapamiltiadou@marketnews.com
** MNI **
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