On June 29, thousands of workers joined a general strike in Greece to protest massive spending cuts and austerity measures. The government has sought to reduce the country’s debt by raising the retirement age, cutting pension funds and making massive layoffs, all of which are detrimental to Greek workers.
The strike, the fifth in 2010, was supported by Greece’s two major labor unions, which account for over 3 million workers. It shut down schools, transportation, courts and newspapers.
The strike was organized to begin as the Greek parliament took up a bill imposing deep cuts. Spyros Papaspyros, a leader of a Greek civil service union, spoke about the proposed legislation saying, “They violate the law and the Constitution and affect 95 percent of Greeks—there is no way they will pass.” (New York Times, June 29)
Another general strike is planned for July 8.
