Strike-hit Greece at standstill (European Labor in Action: demand 2x min wage)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7681504.stm ^ | 10/21/2008 | BBC Staff

[longtermmemmory]

Air traffic, urban transport and public services have ground to a halt in Greece, where hundreds of thousands of people have walked out on strike.

=snip=

A small group of protesters threw stones and clashed with riotpolice, who fired tear gas.

But there were no reports of injuries and for the most part rallies in the capital passed off peacefully.

Country 'at a halt'

Public offices across the country were forced to close, with hundreds of thousands of people thought to have joined the nationwide strike, called by two unions representing some 2.5 million people.

Nearly 200 domestic and international flights and many train services were cancelled, and ferries were forced to remain in port.

State hospitals ran on skeleton staffs, while schools, universities and post offices kept their doors closed.

Bank staff, lawyers, journalists and civil engineers also joined the strike.

Thousands of people take to the streets in Greece "The country has effectively come to a halt," said union spokesman Efstathios Anestis.

"Participation is very high, in many sectors it exceeds 90% of the work force."

There was no confirmation of that estimate from the government, and with journalists also on strike, reliable news was sparse.

Two marches wound their way through Athens, displaying opposition to the 2009 draft budget, due to go before parliament this week.

Many of the protesters called for increased government support - demanding the minimum wage be doubled.

They decried a 28bn-euro (£22bn) government rescue package to banks hit by the international credit crisis - one banner read: "Not one euro to support the capitalists."

The unions are also opposing the government's plans to privatise the loss-making OlympicAirlines.

The conservative government of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis wants to press ahead with its privatisation plans and the overhaul of the country's debtridden pension system.

[longtermmemmory]

These are the cronies of the modern day democrats under the leadership of Obama.

These people are going to protest anything that is anti-spread the wealth.

The proposed budget includes eliminating most early retirement, (see US social security early retirement).

(keep in mind Greece did TWO illegal alien amnesties)

[Cheapskate]

I can imagine the ROP is up their eyeballs in this too!

[2001convSVT]

All to soon this will be what happens in the US.

[dfwgator]

Thousands of people take to the streets in Greece "The country has effectively come to a halt,"

How is that different than any other day in Greece?

[gitmogrunt]

"I can imagine the ROP is up their eyeballs in this too!"

ROP = Religion of Peace in Greece?

According to the CIA fact sheet, Greece is 98% Greek Orthodox Christian.

[gitmogrunt]

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gr.html

[Cheapskate]

OK ,I stand corrected!I was assuming that Greece had fallen into the same trap as the rest of europe.

[gitmogrunt]

In reference to the labor unrest,apparently a good number of Greeks are leftists and euroweenies, and in that regard, they are like the rest of europe.