Strikes continue in Greece

Greeks workers are trying to stop parliament from passing pension reform legislation Thursday. Tens of thousands, including lawyers, teachers and engineers, were on strike. They had been among the millions who held a one-day general strike on Wednesday that crippled public services nationwide. Strikes continue in Greece A rally was planned for Thursday evening in the capital's main Syntagma Square, site of the parliament building, where legislators were expected to approve the deeply unpopular changes to the fractured, debt-ridden pension system. Opinion polls show most Greeks oppose reforms that would unify pension and health funds, raise the effective retirement age for women and working mothers, and create both incentives and disincentives to keep employees working longer. Unions, outraged by the plans, have vowed to continue protesting. An estimated 100,000 people marched through downtown Athens during Wednesday's strike, and riot police clashed with groups of anarchists throwing rocks and firebombs during and after the demonstration. No injuries were reported. Commuters struggled to get to work in Athens as some forms of public transport including the Athens metro, the suburban railway and the capital's tram were halted. With television and radio journalists on strike for a second day, many people were unaware of which forms of transport they could use. Employees of the main power company continued their lengthy strike, which has produced rolling power cuts. Mounds of garbage festered on many streets as municipal workers continued partial work stoppages. Despite widespread opposition, Parliament is expected to approve the pension reform plans in three votes scheduled for Thursday. The first batch of articles passed with 152 votes in favor and 112 against, with 264 of Parliament's 300 members present. The governing conservative party has 151 deputies, versus 102 for the opposition Socialists. A far-right party with 10 seats has withdrawn from the debate. If the plan is passed Thursday, a final procedural vote on the 154-article package will be held next week. Socialist opposition leader and former Foreign Minister George Papandreou, who joined Wednesday's demonstration, accused the government of eroding "the most basic of pension rights," particularly for women, while offering tax cuts for the rich and benefits for large corporations. "It's unacceptable. We're fighting and we hope we can win this fight for a much better and much safer Greece," he said. Violence during protests in Athens yesterday (FoNet)

Strikes continue in Greece

A rally was planned for Thursday evening in the capital's main Syntagma Square, site of the parliament building, where legislators were expected to approve the deeply unpopular changes to the fractured, debt-ridden pension system.

Opinion polls show most Greeks oppose reforms that would unify pension and health funds, raise the effective retirement age for women and working mothers, and create both incentives and disincentives to keep employees working longer.

Unions, outraged by the plans, have vowed to continue protesting.

An estimated 100,000 people marched through downtown Athens during Wednesday's strike, and riot police clashed with groups of anarchists throwing rocks and firebombs during and after the demonstration. No injuries were reported.

Commuters struggled to get to work in Athens as some forms of public transport including the Athens metro, the suburban railway and the capital's tram were halted. With television and radio journalists on strike for a second day, many people were unaware of which forms of transport they could use.

Employees of the main power company continued their lengthy strike, which has produced rolling power cuts. Mounds of garbage festered on many streets as municipal workers continued partial work stoppages.

Despite widespread opposition, Parliament is expected to approve the pension reform plans in three votes scheduled for Thursday.

The first batch of articles passed with 152 votes in favor and 112 against, with 264 of Parliament's 300 members present. The governing conservative party has 151 deputies, versus 102 for the opposition Socialists. A far-right party with 10 seats has withdrawn from the debate.

If the plan is passed Thursday, a final procedural vote on the 154-article package will be held next week.

Socialist opposition leader and former Foreign Minister George Papandreou, who joined Wednesday's demonstration, accused the government of eroding "the most basic of pension rights," particularly for women, while offering tax cuts for the rich and benefits for large corporations.

"It's unacceptable. We're fighting and we hope we can win this fight for a much better and much safer Greece," he said.