Greece faces new protests and strikes against cuts.
Today marks another day of protests, with demonstrations by teachers, municipal public employees, and workers from the country's largest refinery.
Greece is facing another day of protests today, with marches and strikes against the government's spending cuts. There are demonstrations by teachers, municipal civil servants, and employees of the country's largest refinery.
In several ministries surrounding Athens, civil servants blocked entrances, while local government employees occupied city halls and teachers staged strikes.
Large piles of garbage continue to infest the streets of Athens, as municipal workers block the entrance to the city's main landfill and depots where garbage collection trucks are kept for the second week.
At stake is a government plan to cut public sector salaries and pensions, which Greece promised in exchange for more international financial aid. In the next two or three weeks, the Greek Parliament is expected to vote on new austerity measures, which will also cut 30 of the 700 public sector employees. These 30 employees are expected to be placed in a special workforce with reduced salaries. The plan also affects workers in state-owned companies, such as the country's main refinery and water treatment companies in Athens and Thessaloniki, among others.
At the Hellenic Petroleum SA refinery, employees are staging a 24-hour work stoppage and threatening to extend the strike in the coming days. The refinery shutdown has led many drivers to gas stations, fearing fuel shortages. There are reports that some owners took advantage of the situation to raise prices at gas stations overnight.
The protests are set to continue. On Thursday, public health workers and prison guards will go on strike, while tax, bank, and customs officials are preparing protests for next week. The two main trade union federations in Greece – GSEE, representing the public sector, and Adedy, representing the private sector – have called for a general strike on the 19th.
Greece has announced further spending cuts to secure an €8 billion tranche from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Without the money, the government is expected to face cash flow problems by mid-November. This information comes from Dow Jones.