Strikes, Protests Continue in Greece

 

Last Monday, Athens metro, tram and suburban rail workers held a 24-hour strike, while buses and trolleys were to stop operating for several hours. Airline passengers also faced delays as traffic controllers implemented work-to-rule action, refusing to work overtime. A 48-hour strike by all transport workers is expected later this week. Greek police held their own protest, with the Special Guards unit hanging a giant black banner from the top of Lycabettus Hill in the capital reading "Pay day, day of mourning." Last Sunday, hundreds of protesters gathered in Athen’s Syntagma Square scuffling with police who pushed them back with truncheons and tear gas.

From Zero Hedge: “The Troika’s deadlines are constantly missed. None of the promised privatizations have occurred, and none are being worked on seriously, though the first €5 billion in proceeds were supposed to arrive by year end. They are being counted on to keep Greece out of default. Any efforts to institute a functional tax collection system are immediately torpedoed. And Papandreou’s promises have been broken without fail since the first bailout negotiations in 2010. No surprise that creditors have lost all trust.”

Sources:

New strikes, protests in Greece over austerity – September 26, 2011 -

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/09/26/501364/main20111776.shtml

Reform Rebellion In Greece -09/29/2011 -

http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/reform-rebellion-greece