GREECE: General strike in Greece disrupts air and sea travel, transport and services

Record ID: 339966

  • Title: GREECE: General strike in Greece disrupts air and sea travel, transport and services
  • Date: 21st May 2010
  • Summary: MAN READING NEWSPAPER (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) GREEK CITIZEN SAYING: "Yes definately strikes have to take place, there are terrible things going on, wages are being cut, everything is expensive, people are stressed, (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) GREEK CITIZEN DIMITRI SAYING: "I think strikes are a good thing when you see that the workers are being treated unfair." PIREAUS, GREECE (
  • Embargoed: 5th June 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAD1WFKJTTLK8HEE6L7MSSTUPJL
  • Story Text: Domestic flights are disrupted, passenger ferry schedules cancelled, and public transport and services shut down in nationwide strike against austerity and pension reforms.
    Ships were docked, domestic flights and public transport were disrupted, and public services closed as workers walked off the job on Thursday (May 20) for a 24 hour strike in a test to the government's resolve to implement reforms aimed at pulling Greece out of a severe debt crisis.
    Although air traffic controllers at Greece's largest airport, Athens International, announced they would not participate in the strike, air traffic controllers striking at small airports around the country forced the cancellation of dozens of domestic flights from the mainland to the islands.
    Main domestic airline Olympic Airways cancelled 15 flights to and from the islands.
    International flights were operating regularly however, as Athens air traffic controllers said in respect to tourists they would not take part in the labour action this time around.
    At the main passenger port of Pireaus passenger ferries were tied down however, cancelled scheduled routes, as part of the strike by port workers and sailors.
    In Athens, the subway, buses, trolleys, trams and trains shut down as employees in the sector walked off the job.
    It is the sixth strike by civil servants and the fourth by private sector workers since the government announced tough austerity measures for the country to save the economy. Greece has received a rescue aid package by the European Union and IMF to keep it from defaulting, and both the measures and the EU/IMF help have angered unions.
    The repeated strikes and protests often marred by violence have affected the key tourism sector, with industry bodies saying thousands of cancellations in Athens hotels followed the last strike on May 5 where three people were killed in the protests. The previous airport and ship strikes also disrupted tourists schedules.
    Thousands of Greek workers will march to parliament in rallies as part of the strike, as unions say they will keep up protests against the reforms. Investors are watching to see if the labour actions will break the government's resolve to implement the tough measures, but so far the government has not wavered.
    Public and private sector workers belonging to Greece's two largest unions, civil servants union ADEDY and the private union GSEE, as well as members of the Communist party are on strike over reforms to the pension system, the latest is a series of strikes since February over the economic program that also cuts wage benefits and freezes hirings.
    A massive protest march on May 5 turned violent when protesters lobbed petrol bombs at a bank in Athens killing three employees, including a pregnant woman. It was the worst violence to hit Greece since riots paralysed Athens for weeks in December 2008.
    Investors will be watching closely Thursday's march for any signs of unrest that could threaten the implementation of unpopular reforms including tax hikes, public wage cuts and an increase of the retirement age.
    Greece has received a rescue package from the European Union and International Monetary Fund to keep it from defaulting after the markets shut out the country, but the package comes with strict public sector cuts and tax increases.
    Opinion polls show most Greeks agree reforms are necessary to stem the country's debt crisis but they are angry because they believe the burden is being unfairly shouldered by the poor while the rich evade taxes.
    Labour unions have warned of more strikes if the government leaves the draft pension reform bill unchanged before it is voted in parliament early June.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register