This past week, however, public workers surprised everyone, including themselves and their union leadership.
But to her co-workers' surprise Zichen had never been jittery.
Still, the length of the teacher's survival, as well as the nine-week survival of a 44-year-old dock worker, surprised many experts.
In Britain, Roger Maddison, national officer for the automotive industry in the British union Unite, told the BBC that the announcements had taken workers by surprise.
"Sure, we were worried," said Richard A. Mola, who has been mayor for 31 years, "but what could we do?" The move caught JVC's workers by surprise.
More than 93,000 people have flowed from Burundi into Tanzania since then, reversing what had been a promising trend and catching humanitarian workers by surprise.
What we found in polling retirees (as well as current workers) may surprise you: When it comes to key "markers" of an enjoyable retirement, their real-life experience soundly beats the expectations of today's workers.
Both female and male simulated clients, particularly those who had children, reported that healthcare workers expressed surprise at them seeking information on contraceptives or condoms.
The catch-up by the least educated workers has surprised labor economists.
A fire official said rescue workers were surprised that the girl did not suffer more serious injuries.
Mr. Papandreou's policy announcements — particularly the ones aimed at the pay of public sector workers — have surprised not just investors but also skeptics in Greece, who felt that his socialist instincts would keep him from venturing into certain areas.
