Labour Research November 2013

European news

Greece general strike

Greece’s largest union confederation, GSEE, is planning a further general strike on 6 November. It is protesting against a new, and probably higher, property tax, and because it fears a new round of cuts to jobs and pay.

At the end of September, Greek public sector workers took strike action twice in one week in protest against job cuts.

As part of the bailout package, the Greek government must move at least 25,000 of Greece’s around 600,000 public sector workers into a so-called “mobility scheme” by the end of the year.

Employees placed in this scheme receive only 75% of their previous salary and face dismissal if no other job has been found for them at the end of eight months.