Saudi students excel at ISEF 2024, claim nine special awards    Garuda incident has no impact on Hajj pilgrim transport, NTSC says    Saudi Arabia's RGA implements innovative road technology for Hajj season    Russia not seeking Kharkiv capture, claims Putin    Star golfer Scottie Scheffler arrested over alleged assault on police officer    Saudi Arabia joins International Agency for Research on Cancer    French police kill man trying to burn Rouen synagogue    US confirms first aid trucks arrive via Gaza pier    Israel accuses South Africa of false claims at ICJ    Row erupts over portraits of Australia's richest woman    Al-Ittihad's victory drought continues, misses chance to qualify for ACL elite    Al Ittihad CEO frustrated with 'not positive' SPL feedback, announces internal assessment    Saudi Arabia, US forge new pathways in energy cooperation with roadmap    Saudi taekwondo team makes history with first Asian championship golds    Cognite Data Fusion now available on Google Cloud in Saudi Arabia    Franco-Saudi seminar sparks new initiatives in railway and smart mobility development    Crown Prince: Saudi Arabia supports establishment of an internationally recognized Palestine State Security of the Red Sea region highlighted as Arab Summit begins in Manama    British Airways resumes flights to Jeddah after five-year break    Indian spices face heat over global safety concerns    Glioblastoma: Top Australian doctor remains brain cancer-free after a year    JK Rowling in 'arrest me' challenge over hate crime law    Trump's Bible endorsement raises concern in Christian religious circles    Hollywood icon Will Smith shares his profound admiration for Holy Qur'an    We have celebrated Founding Day for three years - but it has been with us for 300    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Striking Greeks protest austerity as EU meets
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 19 - 10 - 2012

ATHENS – Greek workers walked off the job for the second time in three weeks Thursday, aiming to show EU leaders meeting in Brussels that a new wave of wage and pension cuts will only worsen their plight after five years of recession.
More than 20,000 protesters were gathering in central Athens as most business and public sector activity ground to a halt at the start of the 24-hour strike called by the country's two biggest labour unions, ADEDY and GSEE.
Streets emptied, with police on every corner and 4,000 officers deployed to protect ministries and seal off access to parliament.
“Enough is enough. They've dug our graves, shoved us in and we are waiting for the priest to read the last words,” said Konstantinos Balomenos, a 58-year-old worker at a water utility whose wage has been halved to 900 euros and has two unemployed sons. “This austerity is making all of Europe's south rebel, the euro will be destroyed. We are asked to pay for what our politicians have embezzled.”
Greece is stuck in its worst downturn since World War Two and must make at least 11.5 billion euros of cuts to satisfy the “troika” of the European Commission, European Central Bank and IMF, and secure the next tranche of a 130-billion-euro bailout.
“Agreeing to catastrophic measures means driving society to despair and the consequences as well as the protests will then be indefinite,” said Yannis Panagopoulos, head of the GSEE private sector union, one of two major unions that represent about 2 million people, or half of Greece's workforce.
European Union leaders will try to bridge their differences over plans for a banking union at a two-day summit which starts on Thursday. No substantial decisions are expected, reviving concerns about complacency in tackling the debt crisis which exploded three years ago in Greece.
The austerity policies being pursued in Europe's indebted Mediterranean countries at the behest of Germany and other rich euro zone members will drive the euro apart, protesters warned. “This can't go on. We sure need measures but not as tough as the ones (German Chancellor Angela) Merkel is asking for,” said Dimitris Mavronassos, a 40-year-old shipyard worker who has not been paid for six months.
The strike brought much of the country to a standstill. Ships stayed in port, Athens public transport was disrupted and hospitals were working on emergency staff, while public offices, ministries, bakeries and other shops were shut.
Five separate marches were expected to converge later on Thursday in the central Syntagma square, where rallies have ended in clashes between police and protesters in the past. Fences were put up outside parliament.
Newspaper kiosk owners, lawyers, taxi drivers and air traffic controllers were among those protesting over the cuts, which include further drastic reductions in welfare and health spending.
Opinion polls show rising anger with the terms of the bailout keeping the economy afloat, and Greeks becoming increasingly pessimistic about their country's future. – Reuters


Clic here to read the story from its source.