Greek parliament approves further austerity measures

[Hannah Bell]

Greece has agreed to reduce its public spending deficit to 7.6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2011. Last month Eurostat revised upwards the 2009 public deficit to 15.4 percent of GDP from the previous 13.6 percent. As a result, the 2010 public deficit is to be revised upwards to 9.4 percent of GDP—which is over the 8.1 percent target agreed with the IMF.

The budget includes “concrete measures of cutting expenditures and increasing revenues, to a total of €14 billion”. Health ministry spending is to be cut by €700 million and significant pay cuts imposed at state-run firms. Value Added Tax (a sales tax) is to increase from 11 to 13 percent and its lower level rate, which includes foodstuffs and other items like books, is to be increased to 6.5 percent.

The government also announced that legislation breaking up the “closed shop” professions will be announced early next year. Many workers, including truckers, pharmacists, engineers, lawyers, notaries, accountants, architects, and dentists, will be adversely affected. It is expected that thousands of jobs will go as a result.

In its economic assessment, the Finance Ministry predicted that unemployment will increase from 12.1 to 14.6 next year.

In contrast to the assault on working people, the budget included a boon for the corporations, with the tax-rate of non-distributed corporate profits falling to 20 percent from 24 percent.

These measures come on top of the drastic austerity already imposed on the Greek population in the last year...

The parliamentary debate was held as strikes continued in Athens and across Greece. Bus and subway drivers in the capital have been holding rolling strikes for two weeks. Piles of uncollected refuse sacks have also become a common sight over the past three weeks due to an ongoing strike by collectors. On Wednesday, local government employees walked off the job from 11 a.m. until the end of their shift. Other workers participating in strikes for several hours that day included Hellenic Telecommunication employees, and primary and high school teachers.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/dec2010/gree-d24.shtml

[xchrom]

1. Good luck Greece in your present is our future. Nt

[StarsInHerHair]

2. the Banksters are like zombies, devouring civilization itself-they're insane

nt

[blindpig]

3. Thay are playing with fire.

The GS of the CC of the KKE noted among other things that “In the war against the workers of Greece and Europe we must prepare ourselves so that the war will end with victory for the people. The government is ruthless. The official opposition is conning the people with another “mixture” of the same policies. Today we need another specific opposition strategy which will lead the people to question and overthrow the system and not false cures which will recycle and sharpen the problems. This is our relevant call today. No postponement of this decision is possible, when what popular rights remain are in immediate danger. We need a social popular front now to repel the assault and counterattack. There is no solution which is in the interests of the pillars of the system on the one hand and the working people on the other. Either the system will be victorious or the people will defeat the capitalist system and its power. Only the working class and its allies can ensure real development for this country, in contrast to the capitalist development road which serves profit. Real development for the people and its increased contemporary needs is a development which abolishes unemployment, poverty and crises.

http://inter.kke.gr/News/2010news/2010-12-10-kke

KKE!

[maryf]

4. Power to the people

the Greeks won't stand for this, or, rather, they won't lie down and take it; they'll march and more...K&R