The Scotsman — Services were disrupted in Greece on Friday as workers walked off the job at the start of a three-day general strike protesting over new bailout austerity measures they say will further reduce incomes.
Several thousand demonstrators gathered in Athens for planned rallies as part of the protests, which show a growing discontent with the government.
On Thursday, unions called the 48-hour strike, which will add to a previously declared strike on Sunday. State-run and many private services, including rubbish collection, public transport, municipal offices and news broadcasts, were suspended.
Ferries to and from the Greek islands will not operate until Tuesday morning. Doctors, dentists and journalists joined the strike, leaving state-run hospitals functioning with emergency staff and all news broadcasts off the air. Lawyers have abstained from court appearances for months.
The strike was timed to coincide with the parliamentary vote Sunday evening of a bill overhauling the pension system, a reform proposed by the government under requirements for Greece’s third international bailout.
Prime minister Tsipras’ government has a majority of just three seats in the 300-member parliament, and has lost its lead to opposition conservatives in opinion polls amid mounting voter disillusionment.
“Everything the unions are doing now is to justify their existence. Absolutely nothing will change,” Athens resident pensioner Constantine Andreopoulos said. “And those who came to power after 50 years will not risk their seats. They’re not stupid. They will do anything, even sell their souls to the devil.”
After months of tumultuous negotiations with Greece’s international lenders – other European countries that use the euro, and the International Monetary Fund – Tsipras called a referendum and new elections last summer, dropping his anti-bailout stance and signing up instead to a third programme of rescue loans.
The planned pension reforms, under which workers will pay higher contributions, have triggered months of protests, including highway blockades by farmers.
The government insists the reforms will create a fairer system and end years of political pandering to powerful labour groups.
