Thousands of Greek police, firefighters and coast guard officers gathered Thursday in central Athens to protest a new round of wage cuts, expected to be announced by the government as part of the 13.5 billion euros ($17 billion) in budget cuts demanded by the country’s international lenders.
Demonstrators chanted slogans and carried banners saying “Mercy, stop the cuts” and “We can’t take it anymore”. Police estimate about 3,000 people participated.
The demonstration comes amid a wave of protests by public sector workers to the new round of pay and pension reductions. State-hospital doctors and judges held a work stoppage Wednesday and staged a separate protest while university lecturers and tax officials plan protests in days ahead.
Protests culminate Saturday afternoon in a mass demonstration in Thessaloniki by private-sector umbrella union, GSEE, and its public sector counterpart, ADEDY. It is intended to coincide with a visit to the northern city by Prime Minister Antonis Samaras.
On Thursday scuffles broke out after police tried to prevent riot police from leaving a depot in Athens and travelling to Thessaloniki in preparation for the weekend demonstrations.
The conservative New Democracy party, which leads Greece’s three-way coalition government, campaigned on a pre- election promise not to reduce so-called special payrolls, which include policemen, firefighters, coast guard officers, academics and justice officials.
But as the Greek government scrambles to put together spending cuts of about 5.5% of gross domestic product, cuts in special payrolls are back on the table.
(source: dow jones)
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