(Sputnik) — A 24-hour strike by Greek civil servants, scheduled to take place in Athens Wednesday, is a message to the Greek government and its international lenders that the new bailout deal is “a pillage of the rights and income” of working Greeks, Gregori Kalomiris, a member of the executive committee of the Civil Servants’ Confederation (ADEDY) trade union, told Sputnik.
“With this strike we will send a message to the government and to any other institution, such as the creditors, the European Union …. that the [bailout] measures cannot and will not be taken, because they undermine the position of the working people, they mean a pillage of the rights and income of the working people. These people cannot keep on sacrificing all they have for the sake of these losses,” Kalomiris said.
He added that his trade union wants the Greek government to withdraw its signature from the bailout agreement with the Eurozone to live up to the nation’s mandate given to it in the January 25 elections and the July 5 referendum.
“The mandate says ‘No’ to austerity, ‘No’ to the blackmail of the creditors,” Kalomiris said.
Greece is struggling to repay its debts, including the $270 billion it owes to its main creditors — the European Central Bank, the International Monetary Fund and Eurozone countries.
On July 5, the Greek public said “No” to austerity measures in a nationwide referendum on proposals from its international creditors.Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras subsequently submitted a new austerity program for settling the country’s debt, which was supported by the leaders of the Eurozone on Monday.
According to the agreement between Athens and its lenders, the Greek parliament must approve unpopular austerity measures – including pension reforms and VAT increases – by the end of Wednesday.
