Greek: Workers clash with police over job cuts

Police used teargas and flash bombs to disperse a demonstration by hundreds of Athens municipal workers in the centre of the Greek capital.A few hundred municipal workers who face job losses as their short term, rolling temporary work contracts have not been renewed by the local municipality, were joined by other protesters in a march from Athens City Hall to the Ministry of Interior.Police stopped the demonstration from reaching the Interior Ministry and diverted protesters down a different street, where a physical confrontation erupted which saw police officers using batons and teargas. One protester was wounded. Temporary work contracts are not being renewed due to budget cuts imposed on local municipalities aimed at lessening state costs.Among those affected are many rubbish collectors who have said that the annulment of their contracts will cause a shortage of workers to collect garbage. The local municipality says many workers hired as rubbish collectors have been wrongly transferred to desk jobs and because they are still paid as garbage collectors are causing an imbalance in the budget.