Feta and Grape Leaves

New general strike over Greek austerity program

By ELENA BECATOROS, Forbes

05.11.11, 06:57 AM EDT

The general strike suspended all train and ferry services, grounded flights between noon and 4 p.m. and disrupted Athens public transport. All radio and television news broadcasts were suspended as journalists walked off the job for the day. The Thursday editions of newspapers were not being published, and news websites were not updating their content.



“Every day that passes, (the government) takes back what the working class has won through blood and struggles all these years,” retiree John Pavlidis said.



Greek unions say the protracted austerity, amid a two-year recession and unemployment at around 15 percent, is unfairly targeting the less well-off.

A statement from the country’s largest union, the GSEE, said Wednesday’s strike expresses “strong protest at the unjust and cruel policies that have caused a surge in unemployment … violated labor rights, and squandered public wealth, while failing to insure an exit from recession.”

In Athens’ port of Piraeus, Greece’s biggest, striking ferry electrician Athanassios Sidiropoulos said the government was trying to scrap rights won over the course of decades by working classes.

“All seamen should have pension and healthcare rights, collective labor contracts, healthcare contributions,” he said.

An opinion poll commissioned by the private Mega TV station and published Tuesday said 71 percent of the public oppose the government’s handling of the economic crisis, compared with 66 percent in February.

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I solve my problems and I see the light

We gotta plug and think, we gotta feed it right

There ain’t no danger we can go to far

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Grease is the word, is the word that you heard

It’s got groove it’s got meaning

Grease is the time, is the place is the motion

Grease is the way we are feeling

This is the life of illusion

Wrapped up in trouble laced with confusion

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We take the pressure and we throw away

Conventionality belongs to yesterday

There is a chance that we can make it so far

We start believing now that we can be who we are

Grease is the word

Grease is the word, is the word that you heard

It’s got groove it’s got meaning

Grease is the time, is the place is the motion

Grease is the way we are feeling

Grease is the word, is the word that you heard

It’s got groove it’s got meaning

Grease is the time, is the place is the motion

Grease is the way we are feeling

Grease is the word

Is the word

Is the word

Is the word

Is the word

Is the word

Is the word

Is the word

Is the word

2 comments

  1. I thought the Bird was the Word.

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