Anti Austerity Strikes hit Greece, Portugal
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Pastor Dale Morgan
Jul 8, 2010, 6:59:26 PM7/8/10
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Perilous Times
Anti Austerity Strikes hit Greece, Portugal
* From correspondents in Athens
* From: AFP
* July 09, 2010 5:02AM
THOUSANDS joined general strikes in Greece and Portugal overnight bringing planes, trains and ferries to a halt in a new protest against austerity spending cuts.
Greece was worse hit, with thousands of tourists stranded by the halt in plane traffic and boats to the country's many resort islands.
In Portugal the main impact was on trains around the second city of Porto but demonstrations were called in many cities.
The general strike in Greece was the sixth held this year and came only hours after parliament increased the retirement age to 65 as part of a pensions reform law aiming to save billions of euros.
More than 80 international and domestic flights were cancelled and 110 delayed when air traffic controllers joined the strike, aviation officials said.
No trains ran, city buses were off the streets and all ships were also blocked in ports. Tourists were warned that ferry departures would be put back to Saturday.
The public administration, hospitals and state companies were all badly hit by the 24-hour strike.
Several thousand people took part in rallies in Athens and other major cities.
Some 12,000 people according to police marched through the capital with banners attacking the International Monetary Fund and the European Union. About 5000 demonstrated in the northern city of Thessaloniki, police said.
All unions strongly oppose the government action to cut the national debt approaching 300 billion euros ($440 billion). Greece's public debt has been estimated at 13.6 per cent of gross domestic product.
The new law passed by the Greek parliament is the latest in a series of measures taken to ease the country's debt crisis which has rocked international markets.
The retirement age for workers in the private sector has been increased from 60 to 65 and pensions are cut by an average of seven per cent. A vote on a law which would set the same retirement age for public workers is to be voted by parliament next week.
The government agreed to press through the measures in return for a 110 billion euros ($161 billion) rescue loan from the EU and IMF.
Unions said that the general strike would also affect the steel industry and electrical and chemical industries. Demonstrations have been called in several Portuguese cities.
Portugal's socialist government ordered one round of spending cuts in February in a bid to cut the national debt. It presented new measures in May which include higher taxes, lower welfare payments and a hiring freeze in the public sector.
Anti Austerity Strikes hit Greece, Portugal
* From correspondents in Athens
* From: AFP
* July 09, 2010 5:02AM
THOUSANDS joined general strikes in Greece and Portugal overnight bringing planes, trains and ferries to a halt in a new protest against austerity spending cuts.
Greece was worse hit, with thousands of tourists stranded by the halt in plane traffic and boats to the country's many resort islands.
In Portugal the main impact was on trains around the second city of Porto but demonstrations were called in many cities.
The general strike in Greece was the sixth held this year and came only hours after parliament increased the retirement age to 65 as part of a pensions reform law aiming to save billions of euros.
More than 80 international and domestic flights were cancelled and 110 delayed when air traffic controllers joined the strike, aviation officials said.
No trains ran, city buses were off the streets and all ships were also blocked in ports. Tourists were warned that ferry departures would be put back to Saturday.
The public administration, hospitals and state companies were all badly hit by the 24-hour strike.
Several thousand people took part in rallies in Athens and other major cities.
Some 12,000 people according to police marched through the capital with banners attacking the International Monetary Fund and the European Union. About 5000 demonstrated in the northern city of Thessaloniki, police said.
All unions strongly oppose the government action to cut the national debt approaching 300 billion euros ($440 billion). Greece's public debt has been estimated at 13.6 per cent of gross domestic product.
The new law passed by the Greek parliament is the latest in a series of measures taken to ease the country's debt crisis which has rocked international markets.
The retirement age for workers in the private sector has been increased from 60 to 65 and pensions are cut by an average of seven per cent. A vote on a law which would set the same retirement age for public workers is to be voted by parliament next week.
The government agreed to press through the measures in return for a 110 billion euros ($161 billion) rescue loan from the EU and IMF.
Unions said that the general strike would also affect the steel industry and electrical and chemical industries. Demonstrations have been called in several Portuguese cities.
Portugal's socialist government ordered one round of spending cuts in February in a bid to cut the national debt. It presented new measures in May which include higher taxes, lower welfare payments and a hiring freeze in the public sector.
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