Workers in Europe protest austerity measures

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Workers in Europe protest austerity measures

08:07, September 30, 2010      

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European workers and representatives take part in a "No to austerity! Priority for jobs and growth!" protest in Brussels, Belgium, Sept. 29, 2010. The demonstration was organised by the 27 trade unions of the EU countries. (Xinhua/Zhang Wei)



As thousands of demonstrators marched in European capitals on Wednesday to protest recent austerity measures, officials in EU proposed stiffening sanctions for governments that fail to cut their budget deficits and debt swiftly enough.

European Day of Action

In Madrid

The first general strike that Spain has witnessed for eight years ended Wednesday with a march through the streets of Madrid. The march, which was led by Union Leaders Carmona Mendez and Ignacio Toxo, began at the emblematic Plaza Neptuno, before moving along the city's main road the Paseo de la Castellana to Plaza Cibeles.

Tens of thousands of workers took the opportunity to join the march, organized in protest at the labor reform of Spanish Prime Minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and his Socialist Party ( PSOE).

In Brussels

Tens of thousands of workers marched through streets in Brussels on Wednesday to protest the budget-slashing plans taken by many European governments to rein in deficits.

The protest started at 1 p.m. local time (1200 GMT) at the Gare du Midi (south railway station). Workers headed for the Cinquantenaire Park near the European Union institutions, waving union flags and carrying banners saying "No to austerity," "No cuts" and "Priority for jobs and growth." The whole procession went peacefully and orderly.

In Greek

Greek labor unions of civil servants and private sector employees marked on Wednesday the European Day of Action, stepping up protests over harsh austerity measures implemented by the government this year to overcome an acute debt crisis.

Thousands of commuters nationwide suffered, since the subway, trains and buses did not operate for four hours and dockworkers joined the protest with work stoppages at the ports earlier in the morning. Public hospitals across the country run on limited personnel all day due to a 24-hour strike organized by the doctors ' and nurses' unions.

EU's legislative proposals

The European Union (EU) executive Wednesday unveiled a package of legislative proposals to tighen sanctions for repeated budget rule-breakers in a bid to avoid another soverign debt crisis.

To ensure enforcement of the SGP, the Commission proposed that a "reverse voting mechanism" will be applied when imposing sanctions to budget rule-breakers. That means the Commission's proposal for a sanction will be considered adopted unless it is turned down by EU ministers by qualified majority.

The Commission also prosposed that debt level of EU member states will also be closely followed when it passes the thrashhold of 60 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP).

EU exectuvie proposes harsh sanctions for budget rule-breakers

EU's countries' budget plans

France

France's deficit in 2011 is expected to amount to 92 billion euros (125.4 billion U.S. dollars) with a reduction of 60 billion euros from the forecasted 2010 base, according to the state 2011 budget plan draft announced on Wednesday.

In order to comply with the European safe line of public deficit, the French government is targeting 2.5-percent GDP growth in 2012 and 2013, with the public deficit to GDP ratio dropping to 4.6 percent and 3 percent respectively.

Portuguese

The Portuguese prime-minister Jose Socrates announced on Wednesday new measures in order to take the country from the group of fragile economies that are vulnerable to speculative attacks.

On the spending measures, the new decisions include reduction of 5 percent in average of the public sector wages -- up to 10 percent on the higher ones, no new workers in the public sector, reduction of subsidies to public companies, closing services and public companies, and a 20 percent cut on spending on vehicles owned by the state.

Source: Xinhua
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