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Protesters from the communist-affiliated trade union PAME march during a rally in central Athens (Reuters) |
Trade unions on Tuesday reported large-scale participation on
the first day of a 48-hour nationwide strike against the latest package
of austerity cuts and new taxes.
According to the General Confederation of Employees of Greece
(GSEE) and the civil servants' union federation ADEDY - the two umbrella
trade union organisations representing the majority of the countrys
work force in the private and public sectors - participation in the
strike ranged from 90 to 100 percent in all sectors.
They claimed full participation in the strike at shipyards, the
transport sector, ships and ports, while there was 90 percent
participation among construction, hotel, commerce and metal workers.
Two rallies were held in central Athens, one organised by GSEE and
ADEDY at Pedion tou Areos and another organised by the Communist
Party-affiliated trade union group PAME in Omonia Square.
Among those at the GSEE-ADEDY rally was main opposition Syriza
party Alexis Tsipras, who called for an immediate snap election and
launched harsh criticism against the coalition government.
"The three-party consortium has converted Parliament into a chamber
for the ratification of the troika's proposals and has turned the
country over to its creditors," Tsipras said.
The PAME rally in Omonia was attended by Communist Party (KKE)
General Secretary Aleka Papariga, who called for "systematic and
well-organised disobedience and refusal to conform, not just with the
government's decisions but with the system in general".
After the end of the GSEE-ADEDY rally, roughly 40,000 protestors
marched to Parliament in order to present a protest resolution to the
Parliament president and representatives of the political parties.
The strike will continue on Wednesday, when trade unions will hold another rally at Syntagma Square beginning at 5pm.
According to sources, trade unions are also gearing up for work
stoppages on November 14, a day of strike action throughout Europe.
Protest rallies and marches against the omnibus bill and the new
austerity measures were also held in towns and cities in other areas of
Greece on Tuesday, including Hania and Iraklio on the island of Crete
and Thessaloniki.
The rallies and marches on Tuesday were held against a backdrop of
strike action that had virtually paralysed Athens' public transport
system and included buses, trains, trams and taxis. Flights were
disrupted due to an air-traffic controllers' work stoppage, while
journalists followed up a 24-hour strike on Monday with a work stoppage
and news blackout from 10am to 2.30pm on Tuesday.
State hospitals were working with a skeleton staff, courts were
closed, while lawyers and civil engineers were continuing a protracted
abstention from official business. Other unions that held strikes
included those of high-school teachers, dentists, public utility
companies, seamen and even retailers.
Strike action will continue throughout the country on Wednesday,
with the Metro and ISAp electric railway running from 3pm till the end
of the shift to facilitate participation of strikers in the 5pm rally on
Syntagma Square.
The government on Monday tabled in parliament the long-awaited
austerity package containing a €13.5bn mix of cuts and tax hikes. MPs
will now debate the legislation in a fast-track procedure that will end
in a roll-call vote on Wednesday night. Then, on Sunday, parliament will
vote on the draft budget for 2013. (Athens News/dv, AMNA)
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