ATHENS (MNI) – Public and private sector workers in Greece launched
a massive 24-hour strike Wednesday to protest a new round of austerity
measures being contemplated by the government in Athens and their
official creditors.

The strikers include tax and customs officers, social security fund
workers, municipal employees, lawyers and merchants, as well as people
employed in prefectures, public utilities and state-owned banks.

The strike has been called by the two largest public and private
workers’ unions, GSEE and ADEDY, in light of the government’s decision
to impose further cuts in wages and pensions, working hours and
benefits. The past several weeks have already brought strikes and
protests by doctors, pharmacists, police, uniformed military officers,
teachers, and university professors.

Journalists, who held a 24 hour strike on Monday, will also
participate in today’s walkout, from 0700 GMT to 1200 GMT.

The Greek coalition government led by Prime Minister Antonis
Samaris is planning to send to parliament in the coming weeks a package
containing E13.5 billion worth of budget cuts and reform measures, the
bulk of which will come from spending cuts in wages and pensions and
layoffs in the public sector.

Inspectors of the “troika” – the European Commission, the ECB and
the IMF – are expected to return to Athens next week to finalize the new
program.

According to Greek finance ministry officials, the measures so far
agreed are up to E9.5 billion. Another E2 billion should come from more
spending cuts while the remaining E2 billion is expected to be in the
form of higher revenues from a crackdown on tax evasion.

Initially, the government said it was being required to implement
E11.6 billion worth of new deficit-cutting measures. But Greek Finance
Minister Giannis Stournaras has acknowledged that the total measures
being imposed on Greece have risen to E13.5 billion. Unofficially,
however, the number could go as high as E18 billion, because of a
bigger-than-expected recession and budget gap this year.

–Athens bureau; apapamiltiadou@marketnews.com

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