Greece orders striking seamen to return to work

[Joanne98]

Source: Reuters

Nov 29 (Reuters) - Greece ordered striking seamen to return to work on Monday after a week-long strike which started to leave ships and passengers stranded at ports, disrupting supplies of food and medicine.

It was the second time since July that the Socialist government had evoked emergency powers to end a strike, showing it was willing to confront labour resistance to austerity measures under an EU/IMF bailout.

"We couldn't even ship the dead to and from the islands to bury them," Maritime Affairs Minister Yannis Diamantidis said. "To protect the Greek people's national interest... the government decided to move to a political mobilisation."

Seamen had earlier decided to extend a strike launched on Nov 23. until Dec 2. Their demands include the signing of a centralised wage deal and a halt to dismissals.



Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE6AS11620101129

[Ikonoklast]

1. I'd tell them to piss up a rope.

Forcing someone to labor is never a good idea.

They tend to be rather surly, and do their jobs quite badly.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. More like the IMF ordering the strikers back to work IMO.

[provis99]

3. so the "Socialist" government is really a fascist one.

[Chulanowa]

6. Yeah, that was baffling

"the Socialist government had evoked emergency powers to end a strike, showing it was willing to confront labour resistance to austerity measures"

That's not much of a socialist government those Greeks have. Maybe they should bone up on political theory.

TL;DR version; UR DOIN IT RONG

[MiniMe]

4. There's a joke in there somewhere, but I think I'll leave that one to others

It would be funny if they spelled seamen wrong though, striking semen. LOL.

[cloudbase]

5. Captain's message to office:

The chief engineer has told me that the ship requires major engine work and we won't be able to sail on schedule.

We did something like that when the chief engineer was enjoying a bit of time ashore and we'd finished cargo early. The captain sent down orders to get ready to sail. Sorry, cap! Engine problems. Miraculously fixed when big daddy got back aboard.

Stuff happens!

[formercia]

7. In other news:

The rate of pregnancy in Greece falls unexpectedly.