Greeks Return to Work After Strikes

Thu Mar 20, 2008 5:44 PM EDT

ATHENS — Greek garbage collectors returned to work Friday, removing mounds of trash that had piled up on city streets during their two-week strike protesting pension reforms.

Parliament approved the unpopular reforms Thursday, despite weeks of widespread protests including three general strikes.

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

But some sectors remained on strike. Lawyers were staying away from court for the fifth day of a weeklong strike, while the bank workers' union declared a 24-hour strike for Friday. A one-day general strike on Wednesday brought the country to a standstill.

Unions were outraged by the pension reform bill and had vowed to stop it. But lawmakers on Thursday voted 151-13 in the last of three ballots backing the bill that 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 on Thursday night. "We have an aging 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 lawmakers 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," 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 argue the changes 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 of $1,020 per month.

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