Post date: Sep 29, 2010 12:6:23 PM
Tens of thousands of people respond to a call by Europe's unions to protest against austerity measures imposed by governments to cut budget deficits caused by the economic crisis.
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (SEPTEMBER 29, 2010) REUTERS -
Unions say the post crisis austerity measures risk hitting the weakest and called for the mass protest in Brussels on Wednesday (September 29) to warn governments against cutting pensions, education and social funds.
Delegations came from 50 different unions representing 30 countries as Spain held a general strike, also against austerity measures saying ordinary people should not pay the price of the banking crisis.
Unions said they expected 80,000 people to march through Brussels.
Many workers see austerity measures as a way for governments to take advantage of the crisis to cut public spending in favour of big business.
"This crisis which is existing we understand but on the other hand it is a very good excuse on all kinds of pressure on people who are helpless, workers, people who are not in big business," says Alexander Nikolov, a Bulgatian worker and member of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria (CITUB), one of Bulgaria's largest trade unions.
The leader of the European Trade Union Congress (ETUC) John Monks says he is alarmed about rising unemployment and inequalities.
"Never again should the banks be able to do what they did to the rest of us. They have screwed us and we are paying the bills for them," Monks said.
He was due to meet with the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, who himself was unveiling the EU's proposals for stronger national budget monitoring to avoid national debt.
The EU wants to impose sanctions on countries that live beyond their means and plans to operate a scoreboard of economic and financial indicators that would work as an early warning on imbalances.