With a general strike already called for Oct. 18 by Greece’s two largest labor unions in protest of more impending austerity measures from the government, hospital doctors said they will join and also not work the day before.
Oct. 18 is the day of a scheduled European Union meeting where Prime Minister Antonis Samaras hopes to have ready a package of $17.45 billion in spending cuts and tax hikes demanded by international lenders. A $38.8 billion installment, the last in a first series of $152 billion in rescue loans, is on hold, as is a second bailout of $172 billlion until he gets approval from the Troika of the European Union-International Monetary Fund-European Central Bank (EU-IMF-ECB) and Parliament’s rubber stamp okay.
Doctors operating in state and private hospitals around Greece said they want to show their opposition to the measures, joining many other workers and professions, including including lawyers, engineers and pharmacists. GSEE and ADEDY, the unions representing private and public workers have organized the strike and protests are expected to occur, as they did when German Chancellor Angela Merkel came to Athens on Oct. 9 to meet Samaras.
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