New round of strikes starts today. Today, the Executive Committee of the Syndicate of employees in the public sector ADEDI will decide whether there will be strikes on March 8 in downtown Athens regarding the announcement of new measures for the retirement system, and a 24-hour strike on March 16 against reduction of salaries and allowances and the increase of age limit for retirement of women.
President of ADEDI Spyros Papaspiros said that he rejects any idea of the cancellation of the 14th salary. Yesterday he met with New Democracy party leader Antonis Samaras, to whom he said that the measures the government had announced will irreparably injure the income of employees and the economy will sink into recession.
The definitive measures which the Prime Minister announced will give a sign of the initiation of new demonstrations by public employees, said Mr. Papaspiros. Trade unionists from the private sector also provide that they will organize a number of new protests and at least one 24-hour strike with the union of civil servants.
At the same time, teachers have announced that in mid-March - probably between March 15 and 17, they will announce a new 24-hour strike. In parallel with that their union is ready for another 24-hour strike, when the Ministry of Education gives a bill for vote in parliament in late March for the new appointment procedure of professors. Teachers and professors leave open the option to continue with the strike even during the examination for university admission.
ER employees are preparing to strike as well but they had not yet decided whether the strike against the decision of the Ministry of Health to cut their salaries, will be in mid-March or later. According to health employees union the state budget provides only €395 million for shifts, which with the 10% cut will bring down the budget to €350 million, while estimates state that for 2010 €495 million will be needed.
Today taxi drivers started their 48-hour strike, who resent against the changes in the imposition of taxes on their profits. Today they will demonstrate in central Athens. Incidentally, next week owners of trucks and tanks will meet in order to decide whether to proceed with a strike.
New 48-hour strike is planned by tax inspectors on March 8 and 9 for the reduction of their salaries. Moreover, tax officials want another 700 people to be appointed, who passed a writing contest. According to their Federation “the country's problems are not the salaries of tax inspectors and other public officials but in tax evasion," writes Imerisiya newspaper.
Photos: Proto thema and SigmaLive
RSS
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
