Greece braced for second general strike

Striking refuse collectors in Greece hold a funeral march.

They want to bury the government’s austerity measures aimed at reviving the country’s economy.

Rubbish bins are overflowing on the fifth day of the stoppage which is set to continue as unions have called for a second general strike on Thursday.

Refuse worker Chrisouna Kiriksidou said: “The government has come and taken the salary from our pockets, why have they done that? The people that took the money should give it back, it’s not our fault.”

Alex Davilis, another refuse worker on the march said: “The only answer to these policies is to take to the streets in protest, and since we are in charge of cleaning up, we are exploiting rubbish in order for them to overturn the measures.”

As part of the government’s emergency economic reforms, public sector wages will be frozen along with pensions, supplemental wages and holiday bonuses.

Journalists, teachers, state hospital doctors and air traffic controllers will be among those striking while police officers, firefighters and coastguards plan to join protest rallies.

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Tags: Euro crisis, Greece, Strike