[fse-esf] what a day!

[Yannis Almpanis]

One of the biggest general strikes took place yesterday in Greece against the goverment's  reforms on the insurance system. With un unprecedentent level of participation (almost 100% in public sector and for the first time after many years with significant participation in private sector) the workers rejected the goverment's neoliberal plans. No planes landed in Athens for 24 hours, no news broadcast, no public transport (at the exception of the underground which facilitated the demonstrators to arrive at the meeting point).  About  150.000  peole demonstrated in  the streets of Athens against the reduction of pensions and the ¦Éncrease of the working years. In every Greek city there were demonstrations as big (and even bigger) as the February 15 2003 demos. Even the trade unionists of the Right participated in the mobilization.


http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=803779

Besides the insurance issue, it was also raised the issue od Olympic Airlines. The goverment and the EU have decided to shut down Olympic and to create a new smaller company (EL Al model) in which the workers will have less rights. After that, the new company is going to be privatized. This is going to have very negative effects on the connections to the small islands (The air connection to the small islands is not profitable but vital for the local societies. Only a public company can guarantee such connections).

http://www.indy.gr/newswire/foto-apo-tin-poreia-gia-to-asfalistiko-stin-athna

The goverment took also the provocative decision to une the the "traffic" cameras in order to film the demonstrators. Trade unions and the Left strongly protested aganis this "Big Brother" style decision. Wokers of the electrisity company made an action against the cameras. Two of these trade unionists were arrested afetr the end of the demo. They were finally released but they are facing charges.

http://www.indy.gr/newswire/i-genop-dei-moytzoyrnei-kameres-foto

To be continued...

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