Posted on 02/20/2010 6:03:44 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster
Greek fuel supplies run dry as strike over harsh austerity measures bites
Published Date: 20 February 2010
By MARGARET NEIGHBOUR
PETROL stations ran dry in Greece yesterday as a customs strike over government austerity measures began to bite. Customs staff initially walked out for three days on Tuesday over salary freezes and cuts in bonuses.
But their union announced on Thursday three 48-hour rolling strikes that will keep customs offices shut until next Wednesday, when all workers are being asked to join a general strike.
The customs walkout has hampered imports and exports, but the supply of fuel has been the most affected.
Many service stations in Athens had run out of all fuel, while those still open were rationing supplies with a £20 limit per customer. Traffic police were called to some outlets as cars queued for hundreds of yards.
Taxi drivers also held a 24-hour strike yesterday over sections of the austerity package that increased fuel tax and will force them to issue receipts.
Greek unions have been opposing the Socialist government's harsh austerity measures, which were imposed in an effort to pull the country out of its worst debt crisis in decades – one that has seen its deficit swell to a massive 12.7 per cent of economic output.
European finance ministers warned Athens this week that it would have to impose even tougher budget cuts if its current measures do not manage to reduce the deficit to 8.7 per cent this year. Athens has until 16 March to report back to the EU on its progress.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.scotsman.com ...
P!
Maybe Greece will produce someone who will at like Reagan did during the PATCO strike. But I doubt it.
It’s the socialists’ fault!!!
What happens when the public unions realize we can't or won't pay their exorbitant pensions?
How long do you believe it will be before that eventuality?
Except, here, they’ll be told to go pound sand.
This is exactly where the democrats are leading us...
One must understand in Greece there are two major political parties: the left and the far left.
Well, the Ø-bots believe they are “entitled” as well as empowered because “their” guy is the President. So, they strike.
If the results are the same here as there, everyone gets cut off of their guv-gravy train as well as day to day goods.
They lose support from their own “kind” (welfare, food stamps, Section-8, etc…) when the freebies dry up.
They lose support from the rest of American Citizens when normal supply dries up such as gasoline, food, etc.
Everyone is pizzed and demands “something” be done.
Conservatives step in and inform all TV, Radio, internet and newspaper news outlets they will get rid of the government “crybabies” that are on strike.
Conservatives step in and actually get rid of the government crybabies that are on strike.
Moral of the story?
Without the Øbama and the Ø-bots we would have never gotten a Tea Party.
The beatings will continue until morale improves!
Customs staff initially walked out for three days on Tuesday over salary freezes and cuts in bonuses. But their union announced on Thursday three 48-hour rolling strikes that will keep customs offices shut until next Wednesday, when all workers are being asked to join a general strike.This is gonna be interesting to watch. With Zero in the White House, it's a foregone conclusion that this will turn into something worse that it might otherwise have been. Thanks TigerLikesRooster.
Government workers should never have been allowed to unionize.
I doubt it. Typically, whenever liberals see failure, they strive to duplicate it as much as they can.
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And then the Russians move in.
Or maybe everything will be just fine.
Exactly.
Does Ireland belong in that group? My understanding was that their economy was turning around largely due to some massive tax cutting, esp of the corporate rates.
It's really bad when the socialists are actually trying to cut spending.
Customs staff initially walked out for three days on Tuesday over salary freezes and cuts in bonuses
If that applied here I would have been on strike for the last three years.
They might be making some progress. I haven’t seen much about them lately.
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