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Greece strikes cause transport chaos and healthcare delays | Greece strikes cause transport chaos and healthcare delays |
(about 12 hours later) | |
Police fire teargas as demonstrators protest against planned changes to industrial action law demanded by creditors | |
Agence France-Presse | |
Fri 12 Jan 2018 16.18 GMT | |
Last modified on Fri 12 Jan 2018 22.00 GMT | |
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Strikes in Greece have caused transport chaos and slowed hospital care and shipping as thousands of workers protested against proposed changes to a 36-year-old industrial action law demanded by the country’s creditors. | Strikes in Greece have caused transport chaos and slowed hospital care and shipping as thousands of workers protested against proposed changes to a 36-year-old industrial action law demanded by the country’s creditors. |
Nine thousand people demonstrated in the city centre against the overhaul, part of a multi-purpose bill to be voted on in parliament on Monday, with protesters chanting “Hands off strikes”. | Nine thousand people demonstrated in the city centre against the overhaul, part of a multi-purpose bill to be voted on in parliament on Monday, with protesters chanting “Hands off strikes”. |
At the end of the protest, police fired teargas to repel a small group of demonstrators who tried to enter the parliament building. | At the end of the protest, police fired teargas to repel a small group of demonstrators who tried to enter the parliament building. |
Further strikes and protests will be held on Monday. | Further strikes and protests will be held on Monday. |
Sailors and hospital doctors participated in the walkout, along with staff on the Athens metro, causing huge traffic jams in the capital as commuters used their cars instead. | Sailors and hospital doctors participated in the walkout, along with staff on the Athens metro, causing huge traffic jams in the capital as commuters used their cars instead. |
The union GSEE said the bill – demanded by the country’s creditors – “deals a killing blow to workers, pensioners and the unemployed ... effectively eliminating even constitutionally safeguarded rights such as the right to strike”. | The union GSEE said the bill – demanded by the country’s creditors – “deals a killing blow to workers, pensioners and the unemployed ... effectively eliminating even constitutionally safeguarded rights such as the right to strike”. |
The amendment to a 1982 law sets a higher worker participation requirement for strikes to be decided at primary union assemblies, raising the participation threshold from as low as 20% to at least 50% of paying union members. | The amendment to a 1982 law sets a higher worker participation requirement for strikes to be decided at primary union assemblies, raising the participation threshold from as low as 20% to at least 50% of paying union members. |
GSEE says the change will affect “99% of future strikes”, though there is speculation that unions may find ways to bypass the rules as they have done with prior attempts to limit strikes. | GSEE says the change will affect “99% of future strikes”, though there is speculation that unions may find ways to bypass the rules as they have done with prior attempts to limit strikes. |
About 50 general strikes have been held since the start of the Greek economic crisis in 2010. | About 50 general strikes have been held since the start of the Greek economic crisis in 2010. |
The bill also controversially moves property foreclosures online, after successive protests by anti-austerity groups targeting notaries inside courthouses. | The bill also controversially moves property foreclosures online, after successive protests by anti-austerity groups targeting notaries inside courthouses. |
Greece expects to draw €4.5bn (£4bn) from its bailout package after fulfilling its latest reform requirements. | Greece expects to draw €4.5bn (£4bn) from its bailout package after fulfilling its latest reform requirements. |
The bailout agreement expires in August, after which Greece intends to finance its borrowing without a safety net for the first time in nine years. | The bailout agreement expires in August, after which Greece intends to finance its borrowing without a safety net for the first time in nine years. |
Greece | |
Europe | |
Unions | |
news | |
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