Preparedness for when

sb44

2tonsils wrote: »

The holding back of the bailout (which only bails out the banks, not the country of Greece ) is being used as a sort of blackmail to make the Greek parliament bring in the changes very quickly....like sacking 25,000 civil servants, cutting the minimum wage to 2 euros an hour, taking away all tax allowances so everyone pays tax including people who are already below the poverty line etc.

But even if they get the LOAN which was due in July, it won't make any difference to the people as they will still be trying to live on 300 euros a month, paying extra taxes on that amount and paying for medicines their contributions have already paid for....now THAT is why the rest of Europe is striking today and showing solidarity to the Greeks.

OMG!

Is it any wonder these poor people are going on strike, those figures you give convert to £1.60 per hour min wage and a monthly wage of £240 !!!!

:eek:

sb44

Kitchen_Garden wrote: »

Three boiled eggs should do the trick. By the way, I see that the seeds are not as cheap this year. Still I can cope with that.

Sorry, I haven't seen your other posts but veg seeds are reduced to 19p a packet at the minute in Aldi.

sb44

2tonsils wrote: »

Believe me, what you hear on the news and read in the papers is far from the truth of what is going on in the European countries concerned. That is why I am a voluntary helper on the Greek forums which are trying to spread the truth of what is happening. Now it is necessary to do this across Europe and I am hearing from friends in America that they are setting up similar forums to help each other get the truth out there./QUOTE]

Can you post a link to the forums that you post on please or pm me with it as I would be very interested to read the threads.

Ta.

lally666young

I have been watching the strikes on the news, its bad karma and I feel for these guys. I didnt when some of the NHS staff went on strike as they wanted to keep their enhanced pay and shift pay even if they were on the sick. I did shout SHAME ON YOU!!! when I was on my way into work. Even one of the techs I work with went on strike. He got a bollocking as I dont agree with what they were doing. I hope they are ashaimed when they see genuine picketers!! These lot dont even know what hard work for little pay means. I have took a pay freeze as I know I am on a good wage. These !!!!!!!s dont!
I wish I could go to Greece and help.

2tonsils

sb44 wrote: »

OMG!

Is it any wonder these poor people are going on strike, those figures you give convert to £1.60 per hour min wage and a monthly wage of £240 !!!!

:eek:

Even worse is the fact that those wages are BEFORE tax and insurance contributions are taken off people. If they fall into arrears they are charged 22 percent interest on the top of the debt.

The sad thing is that at least half the people who have worked all summer in the tourism industry here have not received all the money they earned....and some have not been paid for the full season. I also know policemen and firemen who have not been paid at all for over eighteen months.

I realise that people have no idea what the truth of it is, usually because they read the cr&*p the news broadcast and papers print.

I have lived here for 19 years and I am living the truth. Even though we live on my husband's Navy disability pension which is paid in the UK and are technically below the 'poverty ' level (which is set at 13,000 a year) we still have to pay all the extra taxes here in Greece. We also get basic coverage for Health care but have had to pay for our meds at full price and visits to the doctor for the last eighteen months. Yet we are better off than most here, even though I have to count how much I am spending as I walk around the supermarket and have to turn off the electrical things to save money so I can pay the bills when they come with the extra taxes added. If I don't pay the taxes they can take my home off me .

The supermarkets are collecting food for people from donations as are the churches and the charities. I have seen the people collecting food to eat from the bins outside the supermarkets.

It infuriates me when people go on and on about the way the Greeks have been saved by bailouts........the truth is they were very expensive loans to save the banks and none of the Greek people were saved in any way. I worked it out that Greece would have saved money by taking out the loan from Barclaycard or on their Visa card.

2tonsils

sb44 wrote: »

2tonsils wrote: »

Believe me, what you hear on the news and read in the papers is far from the truth of what is going on in the European countries concerned. That is why I am a voluntary helper on the Greek forums which are trying to spread the truth of what is happening. Now it is necessary to do this across Europe and I am hearing from friends in America that they are setting up similar forums to help each other get the truth out there./QUOTE]

Can you post a link to the forums that you post on please or pm me with it as I would be very interested to read the threads.

Ta.

Yes I will post the links later...some of them are in Greek. You can use Google translate but sometimes it gets very creative on what it comes up with LOL.



Will update on the weather/storm forecasts later folks. Off to make my dinner....

Popperwell

I understand the loan if/when Greece are awarded it by the rest of Europe will take 30 years to pay off:eek:If that is the case it is likely I will not see it paid off in my life time...

hummingfridge

Oooooh no - just been catching up with the posts and now need to get some prepping done for any stormy weather up North that might mean powercuts/deciding not to go out:
*get all washing done
*little stock up at Al*i (including more emergency choc )
*charge phone and laptop
*complete the 'flood plan' the Environment Agency sent me in the post- our street is not likely to flood on their map, but we're not far from the areas that flood regularly, so I think it is worth being prepared.

Also keeping an eye on the news, I hadn't heard of any strikes in the UK today, so good to hear updates about the Europe-wide situation.

2tonsils

Popperwell wrote: »

I understand the loan if/when Greece are awarded it by the rest of Europe will take 30 years to pay off:eek:If that is the case it is likely I will not see it paid off in my life time...

I don't think it will be paid off in a hundred lifetimes Popps....at the rate of interest they are paying its like getting a massive amount on the credit card and never being able to pay off more than the interest. It also means no money is being invested and there is none to pay for pensions and health care for people even when they have paid into them for years.

Since many countries owe even more money than Greece does its only a matter of time before they come crashing down...its just a matter of who goes first.

catznine

2tonsils wrote: »

I don't think it will be paid off in a hundred lifetimes Popps....at the rate of interest they are paying its like getting a massive amount on the credit card and never being able to pay off more than the interest. It also means no money is being invested and there is none to pay for pensions and health care for people even when they have paid into them for years.

Since many countries owe even more money than Greece does its only a matter of time before they come crashing down...its just a matter of who goes first.

This makes very chilling reading 2T

I do feel for the Greeks, these changes ( extreme low salaries, high taxation and few meds) amount to slavery and a huge infringement on human rights! How the heck can anyone prepare for such circumstances?