Major Labour Unions lodge a two-day strike against the Greek government

Major Greek unions have called a general strike spanning over two days (February 10 and February 11, 2012) to protest the harsh cuts including the plan requiring the EU and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to bail out the country and prevent it from bankruptcy. This would be the second attempt at keeping Greece in the European Union and the common currency, Euro.

More than 20,000 people demonstrated on Tuesday in Athens and Thessaloniki in the first general strike in Greece this year, against the new measures of adjustment that would bring the country out of the crisis by receiving a new international loan. That includes significant cuts in the minimum wage and pensions, and nearly 15,000 layoffs in the public sector.

Meanwhile, representatives of the coalition comprising of three major labour parties discussed today with the government over new measures. The cuts in benefits was the major point but so far there has been no agreement found between the labour unions and the government. Greek parties are holding back the pact with the EU.

“If we continue further decreasing income of the population, and we take Greece from recession to depression. The most serious issue that would germinate out of this audacity of government wouldl be the social harmony in the country,” said the minister Development and Competitiveness, Michalis Chrisochoïdis, in an interview with the Frankfurt Allegemeine Zeitung.

The minister added that the mood in Greece was “better” before this new situation developed. The new coalition between the government and that Greek society is “more mature” than its politicians.

The Athens government must approve the cuts if they want to receive additional aid of 130,000 million Euros. Otherwise, the country would be doomed to bankruptcy on March 20 (expected). This would the second time Greece would go insolvent in less than five years.

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Posted by Usman Khalid on Feb 9 2012. Filed under Sci-Tech. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.