Greece. The green shoots of recovery

Greece. The green shoots of recovery, a photo by Teacher Dude's BBQ on Flickr.

Greek pensioner scavenging among rubbish on a Saturday afternoon, just before the city's central market closes for the weekend.

Poverty in Greece

Poverty in Greece, a photo by Teacher Dude's BBQ on Flickr.

Remember, Greece is not the victim of an insane policy of austerity but a shining example of the benefits of fiscal readjustment.

Greek streets

Greek streets, a photo by Teacher Dude's BBQ on Flickr.

Greek pensioner looking through rubbish for leftover food

thessa
Greek pensioner looking through rubbish for leftover food, a photo by Teacher Dude's BBQ on Flickr.

Greek pensioner going through the garbage outside the central open air market in Thessaloniki looking for leftover baked goods.

Things have so bad here that many of my friends have stoppd listening to the news, they are sick of hearing about yet more job cuts and tax rises and the constant stream of hyperbole and hysteria that Greek media thinks passes for news. 

Has it come to this?

Has it come to this?, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

In the early 90's the USSR collapsed and thousands of ethnic Greeks fled the warring the ex-Soviet Union republics to Greece to escape poverty, war and ethnic conflict. However, at least in the beginning most came with just what they could carry and the maximum $50 allowed in foreign exchange. In the years that followed these refugees were a common site in the street markets of Greece as they sold whatever possessions they had to earn money.

Now such sights are once again becoming more and more common on the streets of Athens, Thessaloniki and other Greek cities as people, especially retirees struggle to get by on tiny pensions. It breaks your heart to see people who have worked hard for decades, struggled to raise families and carve out a life wth dignity reduced to such extremes, forced to sell childens' discarded toys, worn out shoes and their winter clothes just to survive.

The battle of the Banquet restaurant goes on - Thessaloniki, Greece

The battle of the Banquet restaurant goes on - Thessaloniki, Greece, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

When one of the employees of the upscale Banquet restaurant in the centre of Thessaloniki had the temerity to ask for wages owed him he was promptly fired setting off a chain of protests outside the establishment which has continued now for over a month.

Accused of failing to pay overtime, legally mandated minimum wage, overtime rates and keeping tips the management decided to close down the place rather than pay what they owed employees and re-hire the dismissed worker.

What you have in microcosm is the painful choices being forced upon millions of Greeks, either work for a pittance without "luxuries" such as overtime, holiday pay or health insurance or become unemployed. Despite what the foreign media may say about the Greek welfare state its provisions come nowhere near providing a safety net for the country's poorest and most vulnerable.

New pension reforms

New pension reforms, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Life on the streets

, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Life on the streets here is harder than I can possibly imagine.

I meet this guy in the summer as he was quietly drinking retsina under a tree in the centre. Then, by chance I bumped into him whilst I was taking pictures during a student demonstration.

Uploaded by Teacher Dude

Today's photo

Times are getting tougher and tougher. Whilst there have always been beggers on the streets of the city their numbers have exploded over the last few years. So much for the economic boom.