Greece’s unions hold two-day general strike next week

PanARMENIAN.Net - Greece's two main unions on Thursday, October 13, said they would hold a two-day general strike next week against new austerity cuts by the government to address an unraveling debt crisis that has shaken the eurozone, AFP reported.

The leading GSEE union that represents private sector employees said the strike would be held on October 19 and 20, revising earlier plans for a one-day action.

"Our fight will continue and intensify for as long as these futile and disastrous policies continue," GSEE said in a statement.

The mobilization will be supported by Adedy, the country's second-largest union representing civil servants. It is timed to coincide with a vote in parliament on a new batch of austerity measures adopted by the government to persuade its international creditors to release loan funds next month to avert a national bankruptcy.

A barrage of strikes has hit the country this week, shutting down museums and archaeological sites and snarling public transport in Athens. A general transport strike will be held in the capital on Friday and customs inspectors are starting a 10-day walkout, raising the prospect of fuel shortages.

Civil servants will see further wage cuts on top of sacrifices last year and most Greeks will suffer tax break cuts as the state struggles to economize to meet fiscal targets slipping away due to a growing recession.