Thousands march against Greek cuts
Thursday December 17 2009
Several thousand supporters of a Communist-backed trade union have marched through central Athens to protest against public spending cuts by Greece's Socialist government.
The marches went ahead despite a split among unions over the government measures, which are aimed at curbing the country's huge deficit. Greece is facing mounting pressure over debt payments following another credit rating downgrade.
Striking teachers, hospital doctors and municipal workers staged separate protests, but the country's largest labour unions did not participate in the rallies, which ended peacefully after several hours.
Journalists also staged a 24-hour strike on Thursday, halting news programmes.
Part-time municipal workers, waving black flags, chanted: "We're not trash, we want jobs," as they marched through the city centre, passing riot police who did not intervene.
On Monday, Prime Minister George Papandreou announced broad public spending cuts aimed at reducing Greece's mounting debts.
The leaders of the country's two largest unions said this week they will wait to hear details of the plan before considering protests.
Dimitris Pepes, leader of a striking school teachers union, said plans to cut bonuses and frieze higher salaries for civil servants could also hurt lower-income groups.
"We have to see the details, whether the measures announced refer to gross or net salaries - that would make a big difference," Pepes said. "It is unfair to make salaried employees pay for the crisis. They did not cause it."
The government has resisted pressure from EU partners to take more drastic measures that could include salary cuts, similar to measures taken by Ireland.
Press Association
