Revolting Europe
pensions
The coherence of Tsipras and lessons for Italy
By Giorgio Cremaschi If the new Greek government begins now to live up to his election programme by establishing the minimum wage to 750 euro per month Germany’s Merkel-SPD government will close the door to any negotiations on the debt. In fact, with the “reforms” that have made the German model to the whole continent, … Continue reading
Fast Facts: Gender Social Inequality and Austerity in Europe
Europe’s austerity fetish and longer term neo-liberal reforms promoted by Big Business, Governments and the EU Commission hurt women disproportionately. Here’s a few facts to illustrate the point. Europe wide The gender pay gap is around 16% It ranges from more than a quarter (27%) in Estonia to around a fiftieth (2%) in Slovenia. … Continue reading
Spain in 2014: Not a Prosperous New Year
By Esther Vivas We have entered 2014 a little poorer. For those of us with a job, our salaries have been frozen, or even cut; only a few can expect a rise in the New Year. Furthermore, the price of electricity, public transport and water are increasing. 2013 ended with the controversy over a threatened … Continue reading
Portugal: Local polls to test government austerity policies
UPDATE: The local elections held in Portugal on Sunday resulted in the centre-left Socialists, the main opposition party, gaining 36.3 per cent of the vote and control of 106 of Portugal’s 308 town halls, which was their biggest local election victory to date. The governing PSD won 26.5 per cent of the vote and 99 town … Continue reading
The Troika’s Men in Black and the Crime of Organised Money
Continuing to force states to finance themselves at high-interest rates is just a strategy to justify wage control, the privatisation of public services and, ultimately, to enslave peoples, says Juan Torres Lopez Spain has once again received a visit from the so-called Men in Black, the Troika inspectors, coming to elucidate if all is going as … Continue reading
Spain: No Country for Old Men
By Nacho Goberna Spain is no country for old men. Maybe it was before, when today’s older generation were young, when shoulder to shoulder, with hope, they participated in building this society that we now share with them, or perhaps it will be again in the future when the time comes to leave behind the … Continue reading
Portugal’s unions hail court rejection of pension, wage cuts
Portuguese unions welcomed the decision by the country’s Constitutional Court to strike down four out of nine austerity measures in this year’s budget. The court on Friday rejected cuts in pensioners’ and public servants’ holiday bonuses, as well as reductions to sickness leave and unemployment benefits, which formed part of a swinging austerity plan designed … Continue reading
François Hollande – distant from popular expectations
IN THE RADICAL PRESS / HUMANITE During the interview with TV station France 2, François Hollande did not indicate the slightest flexibility in his political course despite strong dissatisfaction among the working class and the left electorate. Pascal Cherki, the socialist deputy of Paris, who had hoped that the President would “change gear” was not … Continue reading
France: Gold-plated pensions for the bosses, rigour for the 99%
How French bosses want sacrifices from pensioners, but more for themselves. My piece in Liberal Conspiracy Blog http://liberalconspiracy.org/2013/01/19/how-french-bosses-want-sacrifices-from-pensioners-but-more-for-themselves/
Spanish socialists get irresponsible
The Spanish socialists have ditched ‘responsible opposition’. But have they got enough fight to stop Rajoy? ‘Responsible opposition’ has been the watchword of Spain’s socialists since their inglorious defeat by the right wing Popular Party at the elections of November 2011. More at Left Foot Forward
Closing gender pay gap requires tougher sanctions and end to austerity
‘Women earn 16.4% less than men and the gender pay gap is getting worse despite legislation at national and international level,’ Portuguese GUE/NGL MEP Inês Zuber told MEPs Thursday in a debate on equal pay. Zuber pointed to collective bargaining rights as one of the best ways to protect women from wage discrimination. ‘Sanctions on … Continue reading
Why Italian pensioners didn’t have to pay the price
The unions questioned and challenged it time and again. Others who actually looked at the figures couldn’t under why. But the European Central Bank and the vast majority of Italy’s politicians were in agreement that a further ‘reform’ of the Italian pension system was absolutely indispensable. And so it was in December that the government pushed … Continue reading
Commission’s pensions proposals mean working longer, for less – European Left
European Left on the European Commission’s regressive pensions proposals and how they will hit women hard. Video
Strengthen public pension systems, say European trade unions
Commission work-until-you-drop pensions White Paper ‘doesn’t meet need of pensioners’, says ETUC, which argues for stronger public pensions More
Belgium: Against blind Austerity, For an Alternative
Ahead of Belgium’s general strike on Monday, here’s some alternative ideas to austerity, courtesey of the main trade union confederation, FGTB Belgium is bracing for a general strike on Monday. It will be led by Belgium’s FGTB trade union confederation. “The financial crisis and the banking rescue have hurt the public finances. The credit rating … Continue reading
THE EURO
The Dossier
FRANCE
GERMANY
GREECE
ITALY
PORTUGAL
SPAIN
