Doctor strikes continuing in Greece

Hospital doctors in Greece join strikes against job cuts

On Monday September 16, riot police clashed with demonstrators who had taken to the streets in the capital, Athens, to protest against public sector layoffs and forced transfers in the austerity-hit nation.

Protesters started the five-day strike against the government move to place thousands of public sector workers in a self-styled mobility scheme.  As part of the general restructuring of the public sector, Athens must place 25,000 workers in the mobility scheme by the end of the year.  The government must also meet a mandatory dismissal of 15,000 public sector employees in 2013-14.  Greece has witnessed three years of austerity policies imposed by the government in a bid to win bailout loans from international creditors, including the European Central Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission.  The country was severely hit by recession in 2008 due to fiscal mismanagement resulting in tax rises and spending cuts.  Meanwhile, Greece’s unemployment rate stands at more than double the eurozone’s average reading of 12.1 percent. Nearly one in four Greeks are unemployed.

GMA/PR

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