Greeks strike over job cuts & corruption
- 11 years ago
Protests gather pace in Greece.
A week of walkouts from city workers culminated in a rally outside parliament - rubbish collectors, bus drivers and bank employees demonstrated against government plans to fire thousands of public sector workers.
Athens has to reduce its civil service in order to receive more bailout funds from its international lenders and parliament is due to vote on the reforms.
SOUNDBITE: Ilias Staikos, Jeweller, saying (Greek):
"I understand that the strike is harmful, but when there's no dialogue, when there is no discussion, when all of a sudden the minister decides to play smart and take decisions and give orders it is only natural to have a strike. This is not the way to make reforms. They need a plan."
The latest round of cuts has provoked uproar from Greeks, who are already struggling with an unemployment rate of 27%.
There's also a lot of anger about the perceived corruption of the political classes.
Greece's parliame
A week of walkouts from city workers culminated in a rally outside parliament - rubbish collectors, bus drivers and bank employees demonstrated against government plans to fire thousands of public sector workers.
Athens has to reduce its civil service in order to receive more bailout funds from its international lenders and parliament is due to vote on the reforms.
SOUNDBITE: Ilias Staikos, Jeweller, saying (Greek):
"I understand that the strike is harmful, but when there's no dialogue, when there is no discussion, when all of a sudden the minister decides to play smart and take decisions and give orders it is only natural to have a strike. This is not the way to make reforms. They need a plan."
The latest round of cuts has provoked uproar from Greeks, who are already struggling with an unemployment rate of 27%.
There's also a lot of anger about the perceived corruption of the political classes.
Greece's parliame