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Strikes in Athens have prevented public services
such as waste removal from functioning . |
18 October 2011
ATHENS, GREECE
– Unions representing approximately half of the 4 million people in the Greek
workforce will strike Wednesday and Thursday to protest a new package of
austerity measures. Parliament is likely to pass the measures this week.
PrimeMinister George Papandreou has stated the package must pass to allow
Greece to
emerge from the financial crisis. Two
PASOK deputies will very likely vote
against the package, but it is still likely to pass. The new
strikes are in addition to several independent ongoing strikes. The strike will almost certainly prevent normal business operations in
Athens for 48 hours.
Comment -- The bill includes tax hikes, wage cuts, public sector layoffs and changes to collective bargaining rules. It is likely to be passed Wednesday or Thursday. Greece's
public debt is currently 162 percent of the country's
GDP.
Source:
Greece braces for shutdown as austerity vote nears.
Reliability: 8
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