Thousands return to work after Greek pensions row

Rubbish collectors returned to work today, removing mounds of waste which had piled up on city streets during their two-week strike, a day after Greece’s parliament approved unpopular pension reforms despite widespread protests.

Rolling power cuts which Greeks had suffered for 17 days also ended after employees at the country’s main power company returned to work.

However, some sectors were still on strike. Lawyers were staying away from court for the fifth day of a week-long strike, while the bank workers’ union declared a 24-hour strike for today.

A one-day general strike on Wednesday brought the country to a standstill.

Unions had been outraged by the pension reform Bill and had vowed to stop it. But politicians yesterday voted 151-13 in the last of three ballots backing the Bill which will cut back early retirement rights and merge lucrative pension funds with financially troubled ones.

The government insists the reforms are vital to protect the country’s pension system.

“We are facing the problem, not avoiding it,” Employment Minister Fanny Palli-Petralia told Parliament last night. “We have an ageing population and this is causing problems... Action must be taken now.”

Deputies from the main Socialist opposition party walked out of the 300-seat parliament before the vote, arguing that opposition politicians had not been given enough time to voice their disagreements. Two other oppositions parties also refused to participate.

“You cannot gag us... we will take our opposition to the streets,” main opposition socialist party leader George Papandreou said. “The government is stealing the people’s money. It’s that simple... People have worked hard for their pension rights. Now they are being taken away from them in the most arrogant way.”

Unions angrily oppose the conservative government reforms, arguing that they will cut general pensions and related health benefits, hurt working mothers and add financial pressure on retirees, some of whom receive less than the national minimum wage.

Strikes over the past three weeks have repeatedly halted public transport and services, and even closed the Athens Stock Exchange for two days.

An estimated 100,000 people marched through downtown Athens during the general strike on Wednesday and several street protests were also held yesterday.

Police scuffled with demonstrators in the city’s main Syntagma Square and used tear gas to disperse one group of protesters last night. No injuries or arrests were reported.