Will give you a proper answer sometime soon Tubbs, honest.

Latest Greek starvation measured passed, just - 153 votes in favour (govt parties won 179 seats at the most recent election).

Abstention by Democratic Left, I noticed.

No rush.

The Eurozone crisis made easy.

A sliver of good news, from an email via the Greek journalists' union:

"Finally great news from the strikes at public service broadcaster ERT

Yesterday, striking ERT journalists received the response by management to their demands through ERT Executive Director Nikos Simos and general director of news Emilios Liatsos, namely that:
•The two “Morning News” presenters Kostas Arvanitis and Marilena Katsimis were reinstated to their daily programme.
•The administration will seek a solution to the problem of journalists hired on short-term renewable contracts by promoting a law that will extend duration of these contracts.
•With regard to the reductions in salaries in line with the budget recently approved by Parliament,management said there will be no new salary cuts or layoffs.
•ERT administration will start negotiations with the journalists' union, JUADN, the collective work agreement, pending since 2008.
•The administration also pledged that in 2013 there will be no programme production of ERA (public radio) in joint ventures with private companies. However, there was no firm assurance of ‘freezing’ all joint ventures with private companies for the production of NET (public TV) programmes.
Consequently, striking workers at ERT called off their strike but journalists, along with their unions JUADN and PFJU, will be closely following that all ERT administration assurances are carried out in full.

Yesterday Greek journalists joined the day of action against austerity in a 3-hour long all media stoppage starting 12:00 until 15:00 along with workers all over Europe.

Fantastic victory and almost too good to be true!"

All excellent news, yes.

According to Maria Margaronis "US Embassy warns Americans of colour visiting Greece to be vigilant."

Here's the link

Occupations in Greece.

Are the strikes having any economic effects?

Don't know Tubby but the recession is


Greece on 450 euros a month

An accountancy student goes through the data and describes his life.

Why do Greeks describe the minimum wage in terms of monthly wages instead of hourly ones? I assume they don;t get paid a fixed sum regardless of hours worked.

Presumably because it's the same as in Germany (and the rest of continental Europe as far as I know). The minimum wage (if there is one) is set as an hourly rate, but you get paid at the end of the month.

If you're describing how you survive on it, it makes more sense to talk about what you earn in a month, as that's when most of your bills come in and it's easier to compare.

As if things weren't bad already.

Can't see this helping.

Bit harsh, isn't it?

"rely most" as in "the greatest net beneficiaries of EU funds", not "mostly reliant upon the EU for funding".

Yeah, harsh.

Clearly, it was a cunning plan by Cameron to stall into the New Year so that Ireland would get the kudos for a deal on assuming the EU Presidency.

Tubby Isaacs wrote:


I'm missing something. Why is that harsh?

I was pissed.

The role of the 1% in the crisis.

Still, better punish the majority of the population clearly wished this outcome through voting PASOK and ND.