Thursday, 22 March 2012

The Portuguese general strike appears to be proceeding peacefully.


Police officers stand guard at Caes do Sodre station in LisbonPhotograph: Rafael Marchante/Reuters

This picture shows police officers standing guard at Caes do Sodre station in Lisbon.

For some Portuguese residents, the strike (the eighth called by the CGTP union since the crisis began) is just an unwelcome hassle.

While waiting for a bus Ana Maria Verissimo, a cleaning lady, told Reuters:

They go on strike and hurt us. This won't resolve anything. They'll have to find another way. If I go on strike, my pay cheque will be lower at the end of the month.

But Luis Antonio, a plumber, said he was taking part (with his manager's blessing), and blamed Portugal's political class for the country's position:


My boss wants us to strike, so I will go for that...The fault of this is those who govern us, not Germany.

12.46pm: Over in Portugal, it appears that transport links have been badly hit by the general strike.

The union which called the action, CGTP, has not said how many workers have taken part. But the Portuguese railway system appears to be badly disupted, while Lisbon's underground has been closed since midnight.

CGTP also said that rubbish collectors, ports and some schools had shut down across the country.

 A strike picket during the general strike at Sao Bento station in Porto, nothern of Portugal.Photograph: Jose Coelho/EPA

This picture show a picket at Sao Bento station in Porto (the bib reads "General Strike").

12.26pm: Missed this last night (was probably recovering from the Budget). Greece has denied a report that it paid €72m in fees to the advisers who handled its debt swap.

However, the Private Sector Involvement was still lucrative for some investment bankers. Lazard Freres is in line to receive up to €25m for its role in the PIS, while legal firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton has already been paid €6.52m.

The 'closing agents' of the bond swap (named previously as Deutsche Bank and HSBC, according to Reuters) will be paid €4m.

Speaking of the Budget, my colleague Andrew Sparrow is covering all today's developments in his Politics Live blog, here (no need for my help today :) ).

12.15pm: Speaking of Germany....... a stream of high level Greek officials are holding talks in Berlin.

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