FOLLOWING meetings on Thursday with the Troika (the International Monetary Fund, the European Commission and the European Central Bank), the Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos announced the government’s Mid-Term Economic Plan (2011-2015) Bill to be voted upon next week in the Vouli (Greek parliament).
Venizelos announced that even the very poor, those who earn between 8-12,000 euros per year (£6.8-10,000) and are classified as ‘below the poverty line’, will have to pay a ten per cent tax while companies would have to pay an annual levy of just 300 euros! There will also be more tax on fuel and gas.
The Mid-Term Economic Plan estimated that by 2015 Greece’s debt will reach 500bn euros – that is 199 per cent of the GNP. It also states that over 100,000 civil servants, teachers and hospital workers must be sacked in the next four years.
Both the GSEE (Greek TUC) and the ADEDY (public sector trades unions federation) have called a two-day general strike for this Tuesday and Wednesday against the Mid-Term Bill.
The Popular Assembly in the Vouli square in Athens has issued a call for the biggest mobilisation ever against the government and asks workers in services to bring trucks and lorries to the Vouli next Tuesday to enforce a tight encirclement.
Last Thursday evening over 3,000 police officers, firefighters and ports police officers, most of them in their uniforms, marched to the Vouli demonstrating against cuts in public services and wages, and pension reductions.