Farmers vow to ramp up protests against pension plan

Farmers in northern Greece are refusing to end their protests against the pension reform plan unless the government withdraws its proposals.

The number of roadblocks in central and western Macedonia has been rising over the past few days and farmers are intent on showing their displeasures during Thursday’s general strike, when they intend to join protests in Greece’s major cities.

“The best thing that the government could do is for the government to resign and an ecumenical government to be formed,” said Stergios Litos, the farmer who is heading the roadblock at the customs post in Promachonas, on the Greek-Bulgarian border.

“However, before that happens we want the leader of the opposition [New Democracy’s Kyriakos Mitsotakis] and the other leaders to adopt a clear position on the issues we have raised.”

Farming unionists have agreed that nobody will meet with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, despite his offer to hold talks, until after Thursday’s strike.