With the closure of hundreds of schools, a week of strikes and protests began today in Greece against the governmental plan that envisions the elimination of 29,000 civil service jobs from now until the end of the current year.
The public school strike will last five days – just two at private schools – and was supported by 90.2 percent of workers, at 66 of the 88 union regional organizations throughout the country.
According to the union of secondary teachers (OLME), the academic year began with 16,000 fewer teachers than last year and these will be dismissed in 8 months if during that period they are not given other public service jobs.
The strike by officials from the state entity of employment and the department of social security from the Ministry of Labor, which has made more than 600 workers redundant, will also last five days.
On Monday the General Confederation of Professionals, Artisans and Traders (GSEVEE) called on small businesses to remain closed in protest against the toughening of measures as social security payments are delayed.
On Tuesday a 3-day strike will begin in public healthcare to avoid the closure of 8 hospital centers and 50 clinics in Athens and Thessaloniki, along with the elimination of 1,835 public and health personnel jobs.
Along with the strike in public healthcare and the one called by the Confederation of Public Servants (ADEDY), lawyers will go on strike for two days, while remaining public officials will strike on Wednesday and Thursday, to protest the demands of creditors who are asking for the elimination of 25,000 jobs from government and the dismissal of 4,000 more workers before the end of the year.
The International Monetary Fund delegation which had planned to arrive tomorrow in Athens to hold new talks on control of public finances, said yesterday that the visit would be postponed until next Monday but gave no further explanations.
Via PL