Greece was left without news coverage yesterday as journalists went on strike ahead of a two-day walkout by unions seeking to block an austerity Bill that the government must pass to avert bankruptcy.
Hundreds of journalists protested in central Athens against layoffs as state data showed unemployment climbing to 16.5 per cent and the government struggled to galvanise support for the crucial reform Bill demanded by Greece’s creditors.
Over a dozen state buildings including several ministries were under occupation by civil servants opposing additional salary and pension cuts imposed on top of previous sacrifices last year.
Tax collectors, municipal staff, lawyers and many doctors also continued labour action launched on Monday against the government’s attempted economic overhaul in the midst of a recession.
And streets in the capital and in Thessaloniki were still covered with mounds of refuse owing to a two-week strike by garbage collectors.
The civil servants union Adedy yesterday asked the garbage collectors to clear streets where demonstrations are planned to coincide with the strike today and tomorrow to keep protesters from using the garbage to set fires.
The two main Greek unions – as well as air traffic controllers, meaning aviation havoc – will be protesting new cuts demanded by the EU and IMF in return for €110 billion in loans contracted last year.
The embattled government of George Papandreou was hit with three resignations this week ahead of the crunch vote in Parliament, which Greece’s creditors have made a condition for the release of bankruptcy-saving loans next month.
Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos told Parliament that the ministry’s information systems chief had stepped down for “personal reasons”, with reports linking the move to the state’s protracted failure to stamp out fuel smuggling.
The police ministry’s general secretary also walked out, prompting a hurried reshuffle with the head of police replacing him, and a new chief appointed just two days ahead of the planned two-day general strike, which could spark street violence.
And a ruling party lawmaker also resigned to avoid voting on the upcoming austerity Bill that includes collective wage amendments, a new civil service salary system and temporary layoffs for thousands of public sector staff.
The government has repeatedly warned that failure to pass the legislation ahead of an EU summit on the debt crisis on Sunday will prompt Greece’s peers to block the release of loans and cause a payments freeze.
The Greek state has enough money to pay its bills through mid-November. On Tuesday it raised €1.625 billion in a sale of three-month Treasury Bills but had to offer a steeper interest of 4.61 per cent.
“To give this battle under the best possible circumstances it is important to honour our commitments,” Mr Papandreou told his ministers on Monday.
“Among other things, this means Parliament approving the Bill,” he said.
Mr Papandreou met late on Monday with two prominent media editors, reports said and was scheduled to hold talks with main opposition leader Antonis Samaras later yesterday.
“We must understand that we are in this battle together,” Mr Papandreou said after another meeting with President Carolos Papoulias on Monday. “We must show a united front to obtain the best possible result (at the EU summit) on Sunday.”