Greek workers strike over market reforms

[xchrom]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/greek-workers-strike-over-market-reforms-2353353.html

Union opposition to the Greek government's austerity program intensified Monday as tax collectors went on strike, and power workers vowed to sabotage a new emergency property tax aimed at plugging a budget gap spotted by international creditors.

Tax and customs workers walked off the job for two days to protest cuts in their bonus pay while the power company union said it would "not allow the company to be used as a tax-collecting mechanism" for the property levy, which will be included on household electricity bills and is expected, together with fresh public sector cuts, to reap €2 billion this year.

The government, which said it chose that system of payment because of inefficiencies within the tax authorities, called the union threat "unacceptable."

The latest bout of labor unrest came as the European Commission said Greece's budget deficit this year will be more than expected. It said the country's deficit as a percentage of national income would likely reach 9.5 percent, up from the originally predicted 7.6 percent.




***even the tax collectors went on strike? -- oh. my. this is getting biblical now.

[Harmony Blue]

1. Greece is toast

but the sooner they reach that point the better off they will be. This way the private bankers can't squeeze them any longer, and they can move on to rebuild their country from scratch.

[socialist_n_TN]

2. Damn, I wish all of Europe would coordinate these

anti austerity actions. It would be SO much more effective if Greece, Italy, Spain, and Britian all went out at once.

[leftyohiolib]

3. "will be more than expected"

there's that phrase again. everything is more than exected, faster than expected, slower than expected. harder than expected. is everyone just guessing?