Greece to face European Commission economic scrutiny

[Scipio]

Looks like someone bombed the JP Morgan offices in Greece today.

Just like the Greeks to blame someone else for their homegrown problems.

Husband can't keep wife at home?  Start a war with Troy.

[Hansmeister]

The Greeks are striking because of a pay freeze when their country is on the brink of bankrupcy?  My pay was cut 4 times in the past 7 years, and my government's coffers are overflowing, with hundreds of billions in cash and US bonds and stocks.

Yeah, they want Germany to bail them out so they can keep the retirement age at 61, while Germany just raised their retirement age to 67.  Needless to say that is going over like a lead baloon in Germany.

[jimmy olsen]

Looks like someone bombed the JP Morgan offices in Greece today.

Just like the Greeks to blame someone else for their homegrown problems.

Husband can't keep wife at home?  Start a war with Troy.

Love your analysis.

[Neil]

The Greeks are striking because of a pay freeze when their country is on the brink of bankrupcy?  My pay was cut 4 times in the past 7 years, and my government's coffers are overflowing, with hundreds of billions in cash and US bonds and stocks.

Yeah, they want Germany to bail them out so they can keep the retirement age at 61, while Germany just raised their retirement age to 67.  Needless to say that is going over like a lead baloon in Germany.

Given that Germany bailed them out of Third World status when they let them join the EU and the Euro, I'm not surprised that the Greeks feel that they have the right to be lazy and have other pick up the tab.

[Savonarola]

And the saga continues:

Clashes erupt at Greek strike march 


Clashes erupted after a group of youths attempted to storm a building, police said  [AFP]

Greek police have fired tear gas at a group of protesters at an anti-government march in Athens after they attempted to storm a university building.

The clashes occurred on Wednesday on the sidelines of a demonstration in the capital involving at least 20,000 people protesting government plans to cut spending in an effort to curb the nation's debt crisis.

"A group of 50 youths tried to storm the university building and riot police fired teargas to stop them," a police official told the Reuters news agency.

They reportedly threw stones and firebombs at pursuing police, and a number of shops in the area were vandalised.

Services crippled

The demonstrations came amid a nationwide strike called by public and private sector unions in anger over measures that will see public wages frozen, the retirement age increased and a hike in taxes.

"Today, Europe's eyes are turned on us, today we are demonstrating for hope and future ... to cancel the measures," Yannis Panagopoulos, head of the private sector union GSEE, told the rally.



Tens of thousands of workers took to the streets to protest government plans [AFP]

Wednesday's  action shut down public services and saw flights and public transport grind to a halt.

A second protest involving around 7,000 people was also staged in Thessaloniki, Greece's second city, police said.

Barnaby Phillips, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Athens, said the protests saw a "fairly impressive turnout".

"What is most important here is determining what proportion of the population will stick by the government as it tries to implement a very austere programme to deal with the economic crisis here, or whether a significant body of the population is turning away from the governmentt and will resist it.

"That is still an open question. I think this economic crisis will drag on for months," he said.

The action is the first joint strike in Greece since the Socialist government won elections last October.

Michalis Korileos, a 36-year-old civil servant, told the AP news agency he was striking "because others stole the money and we are the ones who are going to pay".

"They are cutting my allowances and I have two children to raise, it is difficult."

The strike takes place during a visit by EU officials assessing whether Greece is on track to cut its double-digit deficit.

European unrest

The action comes as fears over wages and job security grows among European workers, sparking protests in a number of other countries in the past week.

In France on Wednesday air traffic controllers continued to strike after action began on Tuesday, causing massive delays and cancellations at Paris' two main airports.

The action was called to protest planned reforms that workers fear will lead to losses of jobs and civil servant benefits.

It came as Lufthansa pilots ended a strike in Germany and British Airways cabin crews voted to launch one of their own.

Spanish workers unhappy about plans to raise the retirement age marched on Tuesday but the main protest in Madrid seemed relatively small, in a sign that the country's unions may be weakening.

Portugal's second largest union warned on Monday it would call more strikes if the government extended a public sector wage freeze beyond this year.

Transportation labour unions in the Czech Republic decided on Tuesday to also hold a strike in the capital Prague next Monday in protest against a new value-added tax on their workers' benefits.

The walkouts are the latest signs of a broader unease about jobs and benefits, and what the future holds for a continent struggling to stay competitive on a global scale.

Unemployment in the 16-nation eurozone is at 10 per cent, with Spain topping the jobless rate at 19 per cent.

[DGuller]

Has any government entity ever been effective at putting a lid on public union excesses?

[Ed Anger]

If I was Germany, I would invade again.

[MadImmortalMan]

"That is still an open question. I think this economic crisis will drag on for months," he said.

Wow. This guy's an optimist.

Michalis Korileos, a 36-year-old civil servant, told the AP news agency he was striking "because others stole the money and we are the ones who are going to pay".

"They are cutting my allowances and I have two children to raise, it is difficult."

There's the problem right there. He's got a complete misconception about what's happened. No wonder they feel justified in striking. Hey, Michalis, YOU caused it.

[The Brain]

What is it about Mediterranean men in their mid-30s still bitching about their allowance? STFU and go to your room.

[Ed Anger]

I hope I get my package from my friend Demetrios. I want my greek food package. 

[Neil]

There's the problem right there. He's got a complete misconception about what's happened. No wonder they feel justified in striking. Hey, Michalis, YOU caused it.

Of course.  Public service union members have an overdevelopped opinion of their usefulness and importance.

[Iormlund]

Michalis Korileos, a 36-year-old civil servant, told the AP news agency he was striking "because others stole the money and we are the ones who are going to pay".

"They are cutting my allowances and I have two children to raise, it is difficult."

There's the problem right there. He's got a complete misconception about what's happened. No wonder they feel justified in striking. Hey, Michalis, YOU caused it.

Actually he is right. Corruption is at the heart of the problem.  The amount of public workers is a symptom, not the cause.

[The Brain]

Michalis Korileos, a 36-year-old civil servant, told the AP news agency he was striking "because others stole the money and we are the ones who are going to pay".

"They are cutting my allowances and I have two children to raise, it is difficult."

There's the problem right there. He's got a complete misconception about what's happened. No wonder they feel justified in striking. Hey, Michalis, YOU caused it.

Actually he is right. Corruption is at the heart of the problem.  The amount of public workers is a symptom, not the cause.

Society must clip its toenails. I will not weep for the clippings when we throw them away.

[garbon]

Society must clip its toenails. I will not weep for the clippings when we throw them away.

Ridic.