Public sector unions strike against austerity measures in Portugal‏

Yesterday, Portuguese public sector unions staged a 24 hour strike against a pay freeze and other austerity measures imposed by the ‘Socialist’ led Government. All public services including hospitals, schools and transport were severely disrupted as over 400 000 workers took part in the stoppage. http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/content/view/full/87571

Further strikes are being organised over the next 3 months. Ana Avoila, leader of ‘Frente Comum dos Sindicatos da Administração Pública’, an alliance of public sector unions, said “the measures the government is planning will penalise workers in the public and private sectors,” - public sector workers have suffered cuts in real earnings of up to 7 per cent since 1999.

The FT reports that Portugal is struggling to control a public debt that the Commission forecasts will reach 90 per cent of GDP in 2001, up from 77 per cent last year. Unemployment rose to 10.5 per cent of the workforce in February..
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e567c700-278d-11df-b0f1-00144feabdc0.html

In recent weeks similar action has taken place in Greece and Spain as public sector workers face the harsh realities of working life in the monetarist straightjacket and European Commission economic diktat which typifies the eurozone.