Rising Tide of Workers struggle Across Europe
Europe
Greece comes to standstill as citizens focus anger on EU
Greece came to a standstill on Wednesday as millions of workers, both public and private, stayed away from work in protest at the government’s austerity programme and anger at the European Union’s role in enforcing the cuts.
An estimated 2 million people downed tools, although according to both organisers and commentators, the crowds taking part in the main demonstrations in Athens only amounted to around 60,000 people, slightly higher than the usual turnout for major protests. A one-day general strike grounded all flights and buses, trains and ferries were halted. Schools, government ministries, local authorities were also closed, with hospitals only manned by emergency staff.
The strike drew high a participation rate although the demonstrations was more modest in size (Photo: solidnet_photos)In an echo of the youth riots that shook the Greek capital in December, 2008, crowds of young protesters from left-wing and anarchist groups clashed with riot police firing tear gas, although violence was sporadic and on the margins of the main demonstrations.
The general strike follows a wave of sectoral actions, with further industrial action expected in the coming weeks. Greek trade unions are currently discussing their next steps and another day of action is expected in March although there are no plans for any future general strikes.
While demonstrators said they felt betrayed by the centre-left Pasok government, who had campaigned in the recent election to protect jobs and public services, the party retains high support in the polls, with chants focussing on the outgoing centre-right New Democracy, bankers and the European Union.
One worker said: “The EU wants to squeeze Greece like a lemon. It wants to get all the money from us.”
Zoe Lenora, the head of international relations at the GSEE, the country’s private sector union, told EUobserver: “People are really distressed and disappointed with politicians, and there is a strong feeling that the EU should be there for all its citizens, show them support, not the bankers and the wealthy.”
The strike comes a day after a series of demonstrations across Spain against the Socialist government’s own programme of cuts aimed at reducing the budget deficit and ahead of a general strike in Portugal on 4 March targeting similar reductions in public spending by another centre-left administration.
John Monks, head of the European Trades Union Congress and in Greece for the strike, told EUobserver: “Right across Europe, countries are in trouble. This is true of northern Europe as well as southern Europe. The EU could have a more sympathetic approach than what has been developed.”
“No doubt there will be more strikes in other parts of Europe. People know that the debt increased in order to bail out the banks, but who are they making pay the price? The rich and bankers who are responsible or working people?”
He said that there is also disappointment in centre-left administrations. “Some were hoping that social democrats would do a bit better, but it is worrying for the union side that we see them doing the same as right-wing governments.”
Mr Monks said that trade unions across the bloc will be co-ordinating actions. “It’s not only Greece that’s hurting.”
LEIGH PHILLIPS, 25.02.2010 @ 15:21 CET
Source: EU Observer http://euobserver.com/9/29555?print=1
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The mass protests are the first ever organised by trade
unions against Zapatero’s government [EPA]
The UGT and the CCOO, the country’s two largest unions, called for Tuesday’s demonstrations against the reform in several major cities, including Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia.
Further demonstrations are planned in the rest of the country up until March 6 against the plan, announced last month, to raise the legal retirement age from 65 to 67.
The Spanish economy, the fifth largest in Europe, has been mired in recession since the end of 2008 as the global financial crisis hastened a correction that was already underway in its once-buoyant property sector.
‘No agreement’
The government says the pension reform, which is to be introduced in stages over several years, aims to ensure that the social security system remains viable amid a rapidly aging population.
Miguel Angel Fernandez Ordonez, the governor of the Bank of Spain, said that the measure “will provide a major boost to the financial balance of the public pension system”.
But a recent opinion poll published in the newspaper El Pais showed that about 84 per cent of people are opposed to the move.
The protests are the first mass street demonstrations organised by trade unions against the government of Jose Luis
Rodriguez Zapatero, the prime minister, since it came to power in 2004.
Zapatero has said he is seeking a “national consensus” on the issue that would include the unions.
But Candido Mendez, the head of the UGT, said he saw “no point of agreement” over the retirement plan.
Earlier this month, Zapatero unveiled a plan to reform Spain’s rigid labour market rules in a bid to tackle the country’s soaring unemployment, which is now close to 20 per cent.
Last month the government also announced a programme to save $68bn over three years in a bid to slash its public deficit by 2013.
The move would see the deficit fall from an estimated 11.4 per cent of GDP this year to within the three per cent limit set by the European Union for eurozone members.
‘Major boost’
Speaking on Tuesday, Angel Gurria, the secretary general of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), backed Zapatero’s measures.
Zapatero has said he is seeking a ‘national consensus’ on the pensions issue [EPA]
Gurria said that the reforms, in particular the retirement measure, were essential if Spain is to reassure nervous financial markets that it is committed to reviving the economy and slashing the public deficit. “It’s not only a question of responsibility, but [also a question of] signals … rating agencies are looking at what
we [the OECD countries] are doing,” he said.
In December, the Standard & Poor’s agency lowered its credit- rating outlook on Spain to “negative” from “stable”, warning that the country faced a “prolonged” period of sluggish economic growth.
Spain’s rising debt burden has also triggered concerns that it could follow in the footsteps of Greece, whose budget crisis has prompted the EU to place it under unprecedented scrutiny.
However, Jose Manuel Barroso, the European Commission president, addressing a news conference in Madrid following talks with Zapatero on Tuesday, voiced his “complete confidence” in the Spanish economy despite the burgeoning
deficit.
While Gurria emphasised that “Greece and Spain are not comparable”.(Al Jazeera 10.02.2010)
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/
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Wednesday February 24, 2010 09:30:19 AM GMT
PORTUGAL/CGTP (INTERVIEW)
* To escalate protests against public sector pay freeze
Portugal’s Socialist government, under investor pressure to cut spending and ensure it will not be the next weak link in the euro zone after Greece, has frozen civil service salaries this year as part of its plan to reduce its ballooning fiscal gap.
A one-day general strike crippled Greece’s transport and public services on Wednesday halting flights, trains and ferries as tens of thousands rallied in Athens to protest against austerity plans aimed at wrenching Greece out of a debt crisis.
“I say a scenario like the strike in Greece is necessary,” Manuel Carvalho da Silva, leader of the 725,000-strong General Confederation of Portuguese Workers (CGTP), told Reuters.
“The 2010 budget is only part of a set of measures we expect will be even harsher in the long-term growth and stability programme,” Carvalho da Silva said, making clear this would lead to an escalation of labour protests.
He made no specific call for a general strike and mentioned no possible date.
The government is due to present its long-term budget consolidation plans in the next few days and has indicated it will focus on public sector spending to cut the fiscal gap to 3 percent of gross domestic product by 2013 from 8.3 percent this year.
The country is only just emerging from its worst recession in decades and unemployment is at 10.1 percent.
“Cutting salaries is not a measure to combat the economic crisis. We cannot accept that,” Carvalho da Silva added.
The Common Front, a CGTP member and Portugal’s biggest public administration union, has called a civil servants’ strike against this year’s pay freeze for March 4.
The UGT, Portugal’s second-largest union and traditionally close to the Socialists, has come out in support of the strike.
Its leader Joao Proenca told Reuters on Monday that it would call further strikes if the pay freeze were extended.
“It will be a significant protest, an expression of our determination to act,” Carvalho da Silva said of the March 4 action.
PORTUGAL / UNION (INTERVIEW)
* Will call more strikes if govt extends public pay freeze
The government has promised to reduce the budget deficit to 3 percent of gross domestic product by 2013 from 8.3 percent this year but as in Greece and Spain, the threat of industrial action and protest against austerity is rising.
“Surely (we will call new public administration strikes) if that happens,” UGT leader Joao Proenca told Reuters when asked if his union would carry out more strikes if the pay freeze is extended.
“If (the government’s long-term) plan is that tough and socially unacceptable, there will clearly be a risk of political and social radicalisation,” he added.
Spanish unions plan protest marches beginning on Tuesday and Greece’s 5 million-strong workforce plan a one-day general strike on Wednesday.
Portugal’s Socialist government is due to present its long-term deficit cutting plans by the end of the month and has indicated that it will focus on public sector spending cuts.
The country is only just emerging from its worst recession in decades and unemployment is at 10.1 percent.
“There will be more combativeness from public workers, the country will be hurt by having unmotivated workers and worse public services,” Proenca said.
The UGT traditionally has strong ties with the Socialists but Proenca said the union makes its decisions based on the merits of policies and not party politics.
Its member unions representing public administration workers agreed to participate in the March 4 strike — called by rival union CGTP — after the Socialist government refused to reconsider its freeze on public pay this year.
“There were no real negotiations, simply an imposition by the government. What happened in the meeting was a farce,” Proenca said.
He added that the UGT had gone to the talks with a proposal of a 2.5 percent rise “as a negotiation point” but the government showed no willingness to negotiate.
Proenca said there were many measures the government could take to trim the deficit which did not require freezing wages, including fighting tax evasion and making the public sector more efficient. (Editing by Axel Bugge)
Strike halts French air traffic
Airport terminals in France are deserted
A strike by French air traffic controllers has caused disruption to flights around Europe and has brought air traffic in France to a virtual standstill.
The first such strike in France in nearly 10 years has affected all airports as well as airlines flying over France. The strike brought most French airports to a standstill and some provincial terminals did not open at all.
The 24-hour strike grounded about 90% of all flights in France. Airlines in neighbouring countries also cancelled flights through French air space.
The strike was called to protest against moves by the European Commission to unify Europe’s air traffic control systems and is expected to last until Tuesday morning.
In Frankfurt, Germany’s Lufthansa airline said it had received authorisation for only four flights to Paris and would be able to carry only around 1,000 passengers instead of the normal load of 6,800.
British Airways said it had cancelled about 90% of its flights to and from France and re-routed other flights that would normally pass through French air space.
On a normal Monday, there are between 7,500 and 7,600 flights in France, of which 3,000 are overflights.
France rail operator SNCF provided 5,000 extra seats to compensate for the cancelled flights between Paris and major cities in the country as well as to Geneva in Switzerland.
At meetings on Monday in Luxembourg, the European Commission called on EU transport ministers to set up a coherent air traffic control system for Europe as a whole and to create a strong regulatory agency to enforce it.
European Transport Commissioner, Loyola de Palacio, has argued that EU member-states to replace national air traffic management systems with joint management of the region’s crowded air space.
Ms de Palacio said on Monday that the strike was “completely unjustified,” the product of “manipulation and disinformation.”
“There is no question of privatising air traffic control,” she said.
Guillaume Blandel, the national secretary of the SNCTA, one of the main air traffic controllers’ unions, said the commission was trying to make traffic control centres compete against each other, turning them into a form of commercial activity.
“The aim of controllers is always the safety of passengers and those on the ground rather than traffic flexibility,” Mr Blandel said
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