twurl.nl Up to 100000 union members are marching on Brussels today (29 September) to demand a softening of "draconian" austerity budgets in EU countries. Unions hope their action will lead to a rethink of national and EU anti-recession strategies. Marchers are expected to travel from across the continent to assemble in the EU capital for one of the largest demonstrations in recent years. Solidarity protests are also planned in numerous member states, including Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia and Poland. Spain, meanwhile, is experiencing its first general strike since 2002 as the country's main unions - the UGT and CCOO - march against austerity measures introduced by José Luis Zapatero's socialist government. The unions previously made threats of a general strike in May 2010 as talks with the government over labour reform remained deadlocked (EurActiv 31/05/10). Austerity budgets: too far, too soon? The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), the main force behind the Brussels march, hopes that by sending a strong message it can prompt a rethink on austerity programmes it views as draconian. In a 28 September interview with EurActiv, ETUC Secretary-General John Monks explained that unions believe both national governments and EU leaders went too far, and too soon, panicking at the onset of the Greek crisis and adopting austerity measures which have led to a "real risk" of a double-dip recession. Conny Reuter, president of the Social Platform, a network of European <b>...</b>

twurl.nl Up to 100000 union members are marching on Brussels today (29 September) to demand a softening of "draconian" austerity budgets in EU countries. Unions hope their action will lead to a rethink of national and EU anti-recession strategies. Marchers are expected to travel from across the continent to assemble in the EU capital for one of the largest demonstrations in recent years. Solidarity protests are also planned in numerous member states, including Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia and Poland. Spain, meanwhile, is experiencing its first general strike since 2002 as the country's main unions - the UGT and CCOO - march against austerity measures introduced by José Luis Zapatero's socialist government. The unions previously made threats of a general strike in May 2010 as talks with the government over labour reform remained deadlocked (EurActiv 31/05/10). Austerity budgets: too far, too soon? The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), the main force behind the Brussels march, hopes that by sending a strong message it can prompt a rethink on austerity programmes it views as draconian. In a 28 September interview with EurActiv, ETUC Secretary-General John Monks explained that unions believe both national governments and EU leaders went too far, and too soon, panicking at the onset of the Greek crisis and adopting austerity measures which have led to a "real risk" of a double-dip recession. Conny Reuter, president of the Social Platform, a network of European <b>...</b>