GREEK tax inspectors have been told to pretend they are a walrus too scared too give his flock’s intimidating leader truthful advice when demanding taxes from angry households.

The tax inspectors have been told to think of themselves as Billy the Walrus, which is the story of a hapless arctic mammal too scared to give his flock’s intimidating leader truthful advice.

Or to practice keeping their cool by imagining they’re dealing with a rude caller moments after their spouse has filed for divorce.

It is part of mandatory anger management classes, introduced by the government after it decided to extend deeply unpopular emergency taxes.

A tough job even at the best of times, demanding taxes from Greece’s squeezed households after six years of recession and waves of austerity measures has become increasing stressful — and dangerous. Tax inspectors are routinely threatened, sometimes with weapons.

Help is needed, but not like this, a tax inspectors’ association said on Tuesday.

The seminars are funded by European Union programs and are aimed at training tax inspectors on how to manage the anger of members of the public.

“Frankly they are ridiculous,’’ Trifonas Alexiadis, deputy leader of the National Association of Employees at State Financial Services, said. “We are in favour of training programs but the content of this course is primary school level.’’

The government last year broke its pledge to phase out austerity taxes, including a property levy initially collected on electricity bills with the threat of disconnection for those who didn’t pay. The tough conditions fuelled protests.

“We’ve had multiple cases of violence at tax offices by angry members of public, including physical assaults; shots were fired in one case, and one attacker came with an axe,’’ Alexiadis said.

“It’s not dealing with anger as much as it is dealing with reality. Too much pressure is being put on people who can’t pay. And what are we supposed to tell them?’’

The money for the seminars, he argued, would be better used training employees to offer digital services.

Tax officials themselves have also had substantial pay cuts and plan to join a 24-hour strike by the civil servants’ union on Wednesday.

Greece has repeatedly raised taxes and cutting spending to stave off bankruptcy and keep out with demands of international bailout inspectors, who are expected to return to Athens this week.

The conservative-led coalition government has promised to pull Greece out of a six-year recession and start financing itself independently on bond markets again, insisting that public sacrifices have rescued the economy.

Originally published as Austerity anger? Pretend you’re a walrus