Transport workers demonstrate against layoffs, pay cuts

(13 Dec 2010) SHOTLIST
1. Wide of transport workers demonstrating outside transport ministry
2. Riot police facing demonstrator chanting slogans
3. Close up of riot police with gas masks
4. Wide of protesters
5. Close of placard
6. Pan up of protesters
7. Protesters and riot police, UPSOUND (Greek) "Hands off transportation."
8. Wide of demonstrators
9. Close-up of metro worker vest
10. SOUNDBITE (Greek) Nikos Vlahos, tramway driver union representative:
"Our actions will not stop. Even if the bill is passed, our protest will continue uninterrupted. In no case we can accept gross salaries of 740 euros that they want us to stick with. We will intensify our protest and we will rally not only transport service workers, but all workers affected by the measures, whether it's in the private or public sector."
11. Mid of banner in which laid-off workers wish the transport minister happy holidays and thank him for their being laid off
12. SOUNDBITE (Greek) Antonis Stamatopoulos, metro workers union representative:
"We are living a junta, a dictatorship. These measures must not pass. We must all resist. People have to get up off their couch. There's no leeway left. We won't leave until we're vindicated."
13. Demonstrators shouting (Greek) "Thieves"
14. Wide of demonstrators and line of riot police in front of transport ministry
STORYLINE:
Protesting public transport workers rallied outside the transport ministry in Greece on Monday, starting off a week of major protests against a shake-up of labour rules in the crisis-hit country.
Transport services in greater Athens were to halt for six hours on Monday, a day before parliament votes on the proposed changes that include deeper pay cuts for employees at state companies and a reduction of collective bargaining rights in the private sector.
"Our actions will not stop. Even if the bill is passed, our protest will continue uninterrupted," said Nikos Vlahos, a tramway driver union representative.
Transport in greater Athens will also be stopped by separate 24-hour strikes on Tuesday and Thursday.
An air traffic controllers' association said on Friday that flights will be halted for 24 hours on Wednesday after it decided to join a broader strike.
A general strike on Wednesday is set to ground flights, halt ferries, and disrupt most public services.
The cuts are part of Greece's effort to reduce its huge budget deficit as a condition of an agreement to receive 110 (b) billion euros (146 (b) billion US dollars) in international bailout loans.

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