Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou’s call to his countrymen and women to be willing to accept public sector wage cuts and higher taxes for everyone to meet a European Union-forced economic standard and cut its deficit got the kind of response he didn’t want: workers said they will march in protest, with a mass demonstration scheduled for 10 February, as anger is roiling over among workers. Still, the government said it had a “national duty” to implement its ambitious fiscal plan, which most experts agree is necessary to tackle the most severe debt crisis in the Eurozone, countries which use the euro. In Athens, Greek Government Spokesman Giorgos Patalotis said: “the government is determined and sees as its national duty to implement the fiscal plan in order for the country to get out of the economic crisis.” He said that results would only be feasible if there was “a joint effort from all Greeks,” even though Greek Parliamentarians initially said they didn’t want to take pay cuts either. Newly re-elected Greek president Karolos Papoulias also called on all citizens to mobilize to overcome the crisis. “We all need to mobilize our forces and improve the institution of the Greek state,” said Papoulias.
But judging from the first reactions, Greeks, notorious for taking to the streets in protest, and even to riots, Papandreou won’t like what they’re saying. One man interviewed in a taverna by the BBC, where he was watching Papandreou’s nationally-televised plea for acceptance of the cuts, had a typical Greek rebuke to his leader: “He can get lost,” the man said.
http://www.neurope.eu/articles/Firedup-Greek-workers-will-take-their-anger-to-the-streets-to-protest-pay-cuts/98955.phpMake the investors take a haircut!
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