Greek Fire Fighters Tackle 38 Blazes During Wage Cut Protests

[Joanne98]

Source: Bloomberg

Greek fire fighters dealt with 30 blazes in rubbish dumpsters yesterday that were set alight in central Athens during protests against wage cuts, introduced as part of conditions for Greece’s international loan package.

Some 60 fire fighters and 15 fire engines were needed to extinguish the blazes as well as to put out six burning cars and two motorbikes that had been torched, the the Greek Fire Service said today in an e-mailed statement.

Bus, train and subway workers are holding a 24-hour strike today, the third in a week, since plans to cut wages were approved by the government on Dec. 9. State-controlled NET TV today reported that public transport workers will also stage a four-hour work stoppage tomorrow.

About 20,000 people responded to a call from the country’s two biggest union groups to protest in Athens yesterday during a 24-hour general strike, and 10 protesters were arrested after riot police were attacked with molotov cocktails, stones, wood and marble, according to a statement on the Greek police website.



Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-16/greek-fire-fighters-tackle-38-blazes-during-wage-cut-protests.html