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11 October, 2000An all-out general strike was called in face of growing unemployment and cutbacks in pensions.
GREECE: The Federation of Electrotechnicians of Greece, affiliated at international level to the IMF, participated in a 24-hour all-out Panhellenic workers' general strike organised by the Greek General Confederation of Labour on October 10, 2000.
In a letter describing current developments in the economic situation in Greece, with mass privatisations, explosive unemployment and layoffs, and cutbacks in social security, the Electrotechnicians say the trade union movement is determined to face head-on the government's and employers' provocations. "We reject," writes the union in a memorandum to the competent ministers, "the deregulation of our labour relations." The unions demand fulltime, stable employment, within the 35-hour-week, and are against the merger of their auxiliary fund and its transfer to that of the state's social security institution.
The trade unions are promoting their own position for a plan regarding productivity and development for sectoral policies, which would provide for real growth and be in the workers' interest. They want an evaluation of investments as well as the transparency of funds coming from the European Union's support programme, with a reinforcement of small and medium-size companies, which they say are mainly creating the new jobs.
In a letter describing current developments in the economic situation in Greece, with mass privatisations, explosive unemployment and layoffs, and cutbacks in social security, the Electrotechnicians say the trade union movement is determined to face head-on the government's and employers' provocations. "We reject," writes the union in a memorandum to the competent ministers, "the deregulation of our labour relations." The unions demand fulltime, stable employment, within the 35-hour-week, and are against the merger of their auxiliary fund and its transfer to that of the state's social security institution.
The trade unions are promoting their own position for a plan regarding productivity and development for sectoral policies, which would provide for real growth and be in the workers' interest. They want an evaluation of investments as well as the transparency of funds coming from the European Union's support programme, with a reinforcement of small and medium-size companies, which they say are mainly creating the new jobs.