Anti-austerity anger

Day of protests

Tens of thousands of European workers protested austerity measures by the EU—the largest demonstrations taking place in Brussels…and Spain. As EU nation states enact budget cuts to fight deficits, union workers say they will be punished the most.

An RT correspondent explains why.

“They want to cut pay. Some countries are raising the retirement age and slashing pensions, and they’re also talking about slashing jobs in the public sector. So, that’s what they’re trying to prevent. And that’s all in an effort to reduce these debts that these countries have run up, restore budget discipline, and of course boost market confidence in the Euro.”

The European Trade Union Confederation organised the protest in Brussels, and says around 100,000 protesters showed up to march outside EU institutions. European Affairs channel Eux.tv has the word from a confederation representative, who says the banks should be held *accountable for Europe’s deficits, not the people.

“From the very moment we begin to suggest to reabsorb these financial deficits, we must keep in mind who was *responsible and who now has the finances to contribute to re-balancing. The banks are again awarding benefits. The banks are once more giving bonuses to traders. And thus, the banks do have the means to contribute.”

In Spain, worker strikes put industry and travel on halt, with two-thirds of all flights to and from the country disrupted. Picketers took to the street as part of the first general strike in Spain in eight years. But the BBC spoke with a Spanish resident who did not partake.

“I decided to go to work today because I don't see how sitting around doing nothing will help Spain overcome the economic difficulties the country is facing at the moment. The strikers have been using what I consider illegal methods, like putting spikes on tires to prevent other people from doing their job.”

An analyst for CNBC says the protests are unlikely to affect any economic policies. And a CNBC host hints protesters are overreacting...

“Let me just play captain American for a two seconds and see if I have this correct. Average severance pay is reduced there from an average of 45 weeks to 35 weeks per year worked. I don’t know why anyone would want to work anyway. I’d just want to go to Spain and get fired if that’s the case.”

Finally, France 24 reported the economic situation in Spain leading up to the strike—speaking with a worried medical student and a now-unemployed career advisor.

Leire: “These are long-term reforms that affect pensions, which affect the way you can be sacked, which affect students on grants—and who will suffer all that? Our generation.”
Hector: “We feel powerless. I work in national education. It’s a fundamental sector for the long-term good of society. And besides my personal situation, I’m also worried about the deterioration of the school system.”

The protests fall on the same day the EU proposed tougher sanctions on nation-states that breach budget rules.

Source: *newsy.com

*Newsy has changed. Unfortunately, you can't now listen to the audio above. However, you can find lots of videos (in US English) to watch about things making the news.

Pronunciation:

*All the adjectives that end in -able have the same final sound: /əbl/ 

and not /ˈeɪ.bl/ as in: I'm not able to go next week.

What are the following -able adjectives?

1. The idea of traveling to Mars was once /ʌnˈθɪŋkəbəl/, but now it's becoming a reality.

2. The magician's tricks were so /ʌnbɪˈliːvəbəl/ that the audience was left speechless.

3. Sarah is a /rɪˈlaɪəbəl/ friend; she's always there when you need her.

4. It's /ʌndərˈstændəbəl/ that you're feeling nervous before the big presentation.

5. The new sofa is so /ˈkʌmfərtəbəl/ that I could easily fall asleep on it.

6. The proposal was so poorly thought out that it was /ˈlæfəbəl/.

7. The rent for the apartment was surprisingly /əˈfɔːrdəbəl/ given its location in the city center.

8. Thankfully, the doctor assured us that the disease was /ˈkjʊərəbl/ with the right treatment.

9. John is a /ˈlaɪkəbəl/ guy; everyone enjoys spending time with him.

10. The dress she wore to the wedding was /ˈsuːtəbəl/ for the occasion, elegant yet understated.

N.B.
responsable 😡
responsible* 😍

-ible adjectives have the same sound: /ɪ.bl ̩/

What are the following -ible adjectives?

1. The situation was so /ˈhɒrɪbl/ that I couldn't bear to look.

2. Climbing Mount Everest seemed /ɪmˈpɒsəbl/ until he achieved it.

3. The story of her survival was /ɪnˈkrɛdɪbl/, almost beyond belief.

4. Yoga helps to keep the body /ˈflɛksəbl/ and the mind calm.

5. The food was /ɪnˈɛdɪbl/; it tasted like cardboard.

6. His handwriting was so messy that it was /ɪˈlɛʤɪbl/.

7. She is /ˈɛlɪʤəbl/ for the scholarship because of her high grades.

8. The outline of the city skyline was barely /ˈvɪzəbl/ in the fog.

Check them in the talking dictionary - Howjsay (you can listen to all the words together - separate with ; but leave no space) or spell them in the Phonemic chart.