Why Greeks unwilling to 'cooperate'?
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The austerity measures seem to have awakened the rebel hidden inside every Greek. But apart from psychology, there are practical reasons why protesters still gather in front of the parliament in thousands and labor unions still call for nationwide general strikes such the one scheduled for May 20.
People deem the belt-tightening measures the government announced under the pressure of the European partners and the IMF experts as unfair to low and medium income employees and pensioners. Even the prime minister himself acknowledges that the measures are "painful."
The austerity program includes reduction of civil workers' wages and allowances by up to 20 percent, similar cutbacks on pensions, tax hikes on VAT, gas, alcohol and tobacco. All these will hit the poor the hardest.
Furthermore, the plan includes an end to arbitration in labor contract negotiations, which until now has served as a safety net for workers.
Other harsh measures include overhauling the retirement and social security system, raising retirement age and cutting pensions.
People complain that they are asked to sacrifice too much to maintain the rights they won through decades of hard struggles in workers movement. Suddenly they are asked to agree to the sharpest decline in living standard in the last three decades.
Some labor union representatives claimed that the impacts of the austerity measures on people's livelihood and income is the harshest and most shocking since the end of the fascist dictatorship in 1974.
They also fear that if they succumb to these demands of experts and government, more harsh measures will follow. Many people have been reduced to poverty and can hardly afford to support their families. By contrast, some who have gained astronomical sum of dirty money by corruption and tax evasion and should be held responsible for the crisis remain unaffected to a large extent.
Many think it unacceptable that they should pay for a crisis they did not create, while the banks held responsible for it are given bailout money.
This is the main reason why protesters recently express strong feelings against politicians and the current system. They blame political leaders for making serious mistakes in managing public finances and for allowing a handful of business people to get richer at the expense of the majority of Greeks by by evading tax and stealing money from state coffers.
Faced with tough challenge, the Greek government has to strike a balance between appeasing people's widespread anger and taking strong remedies to put the economy back on track very soon. Otherwise, it is likely to run into more serious imminent troubles.
Foreign analysts express fears that reform may take a hit if unrest swells to the level of riots that paralysed Athens for weeks in December 2008. The deaths of three bank employees during the previous general strike on May 5 when anarchists set a bank building on fire, fuelled the fears.
But some Greek commentators foresee a decline of protests during the summer, which will give the government a chance to show the initial results of their reform measures. They expect a new wave of protests in autumn, culminating in winter, as Greeks will feel even keenly the impact of the austerity measures in their daily life.
