Greece’s two largest unions, which represent around 2.5 million workers, led the strike as a way of testing the resolve of the country’s leftist government, which has made a decision to implement highly unpopular austerity measures despite rising resistance.
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Greece was hit on Thursday by the second general 24-hour nationwide strike in a month called by trade unions in protest of the fresh round of austerity measures and a forthcoming new pension system reform. “When there’s a crisis and you raise contributions, it’s very hard for businesses because the turnover is not high and the profit is not enough”.
The action hit trains, shipping and ferry services to Greek islands while hospitals were operating with emergency staff only. Tensions flared briefly when police in riot gear fired tear gas at protesters hurling rocks and a couple of petrol bombs.
Discussions on Greece’s debt relief are expected to start at the end of the first review in parallel with talks on the participation of the International Monetary Fund in the third Greek aid programme.
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ government majority has shrunk to three seats as it pushes through reforms agreed with its foreign creditors in July, driving him to seek opposition backing for future legislation.
“I can not accept this but there’s nothing to be done”, said Eleftherios Orimazoglou, a pensioner, echoing the resignation felt by many.
On November 12, Greek workers held a similar strike to protest the European Union bailout and additional tax hikes.
Over 20,000 people demonstrated in Athens at the time, and sporadic violence broke out between police and hooded youths who vandalised public property.
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Prior to the tripartite summit, Sisi will hold two-way meetings with the Greek prime minister followed by a meeting with the Cypriot president, it noted.
