Tax offices and some public services shut down, while ministries and public hospitals worked with emergency staff. Dozens of public sector workers started rallying in central Athens, unfolding banners reading “Tax the rich.”
The Socialist government has cut public sector wages by around 15 percent, increased taxes and frozen pensions to help tidy up the country’s finances in return for a 110 billion euro European Union/IMF bailout that saved it from bankruptcy.
“These measures are unfair. They force people who don’t have money to pay,” said 18-year-old student Valia Bralou, whose parents are both civil servants.
Flights to and from Greek airports will be grounded between 1200 and 1600 GMT, when air traffic controllers will join the civil servants’ strike. Olympic Air canceled 27 return flights and Aegean Airlines 15.
Workers and students were expected to march to parliament around midday. Turnout in recent months has dwindled at the generally peaceful demonstrations, after repeated strikes failed to change the government’s course.
A pension reform protest in July drew only 12,000 people, compared to 50,000 who took to the streets in May.
“I can’t blame those who don’t take to the streets any more,” 18-year-old protester Danae Burnu said. “They think: I shouted, I protested, so what? What happened? Sometimes you can’t save yourself and the world at the same time, and they lose money when they strike.”
The government this week announced further belt-tightening in next year’s draft budget. The economy is seen contracting by 2.6 percent in 2011, after a 4 percent slump this year.
Greece’s private sector union confederation GSEE has said it will not strike any time soon, easing pressure on the ruling Socialists as they struggle to pull the economy out of its worst recession since 1979.
But civil servants who have been worse affected by the austerity measures will not back down, said their union, which represents half a million workers.
“We will keep protesting, demanding that the new budget does not include any further salary cuts,” said Ilias Iliopoulos, general secretary of public sector union ADEDY.
