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Vol. 72/No. 9      March 3, 2008

 
On the Picket Line
 
Movie and TV writers end strike,
will vote on contract
After more than three months on strike, movie and television writers represented by the Writers Guild of America voted February 12 to return to work. The union negotiated a tentative three-year contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

Union members are set to vote on the contract February 25. According to the New York Times, the proposed pact includes compensation for work that is shown on the Internet and through cell phones and other devices, a key demand of the Writers Guild.

—Paul Pederson

Two million workers strike in
Greece against pension cuts
More than 2 million workers across Greece participated in a February 14 24-hour strike to protest a government plan to cut pensions and raise the retirement age. The strike was called by the country’s two largest unions.

Some 8,000 workers demonstrated in Athens in front of the parliament building, Reuters reported, while dozens of rallies took place in other cities. The strike shut down the country’s airports and public services, and crippled rail transport.

The Financial Times described the details of the plan, which the government had not yet made public at the time of the strike. “About 170 state pension funds are to be merged into five or six large units that would be handed over to professional managers,” the London paper reported. “Benefits for current workers are likely to be reduced.” According to BBC News, the retirement age, which is currently 65 for men and 60 for women, may be increased for some jobs, and the plan would include incentives for workers to continue working past retirement.

—Paul Pederson  
 
 
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