Greece hit by strike on eve of key vote

Protesters from the communist-affiliated trade union PAME march outside the parliament during a rally in central Athens Nov 6, 2012. Hundreds of thousands of Greeks began a crippling 48-hour strike on Tuesday to protest against a new round of wage and pension cuts that parliament is expected to approve narrowly a day later. [Photo/Agencies]

ATHENS - A new 48-hour nationwide general strike began on Tuesday in Greece on the eve of a key vote in the assembly over a fresh round of harsh spending cuts requested by lenders in return of further bailout aid to stave off bankruptcy.

Thousands demonstrators marched peacefully to the center of Athens and other major cities across the country, participating in the mass mobilization organized by the two main labor unions, representing most of the public and private sector workforce, ADEDY and GSEE, and Left opposition parties.

As public transport was at standstill, public administration offices, banks, schools and stores shut down and hospitals run on emergency personnel, strikers gathered outside the parliament building to protest their "sentence to extreme poverty," as unionists said.

Chanting anti-austerity slogans and waving banners, protesters called on deputies to vote down the new 13.5 billion euro ($17.3 billion) package of salary cuts and tax increases which is expected to be narrowly ratified on Wednesday night.

Faced with the third general strike in two months and growing dissent among the partners of the four-month coalition government, conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras warns that if the measures will not be approved, Greece could go bankrupt as early as December and possibly exit the euro zone, triggering turmoil across the global financial system.

Without the next multi-billion euro tranche of rescue loans from International Monetary Fund and European Union who keep the debt-wrecked country afloat since 2010, Greece runs out of cash on Nov 16.

However, after several waves of austerity measures over the past two years which have fuelled unemployment, recession, poverty rates, pessimism and frustration, Greeks object to further belt-tightening.

"I can't tell whether the new measures will pass or not, but I don't believe they will be effective. I don't see any changes. That's why you see Greeks taking into the streets again today," Dimitra Patapi, a cycling champion and university student told Xinhua at Syntagma square.

"Politicians should get out here in the streets and see how Greek people live," she added, when asked to suggest an alternative way to tackle the crisis.

Dimitra was competing in the championship until a few months ago. Due to the financial crisis she had to give up on her dream for an international title, since there is no longer any aid from the state, she explained.

"We are here as students by the side of workers and all people who today give a battle not just against the measures, the particular bill, the memorandum, but for their lives against industrialists who say that we should live like slaves so that they will make more gains, putting all the burden on the crisis on our shoulders," Nikos Chondropoulos, Medical School student and member of Greece's Communist Party said outside the parliament.

He expressed determination that protesters can "block the measures, overthrow the government and escalate their struggle."

Nikos does not fear the threat of default. "Default is a possibility. In our opinion it is of no concern to Greek people. People are already bankrupt," he argued, noting that over the past three years Greeks have heard inumerous times that if the measures will not pass, bankruptcy is imminent.

"But, those who are wet already do not fear the rain. Bankruptcy would be to the benefit of industrialists. To their benefit is also what we witness today. So we should not be thinking about picking the bad versus the worst, but be more confident in our demands," he said.