ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A nationwide general strike in Greece disrupted public services across the country Wednesday, with ferries tied up in port, flights grounded and public transportation running only part time as labor unions press for an end to lingering austerity measures imposed on Greece by international creditors a decade ago.
The 24-hour strike was called by the two main umbrella unions covering the public and private sectors. They are seeking increases in salaries and a full return of collective bargaining rights which were scrapped as part of international bailouts during Greece’s financial crisis.
Commercial flights to and from Greece and between domestic destinations were cancelled from midnight Wednesday until midnight Thursday, while in the Greek capital buses, trolleys, trains, trams and the subway system were operating only for part of the day.
The country is currently battling a hike in the cost of living amid concern that global financial turmoil triggered by U.S. tariffs could lead to further hardship.
“The high cost of living is eating away at workers’ incomes, without any care from the government,” said a statement by the General Confederation of Workers of Greece, the private sector’s umbrella union, which added that a large segment of the country’s population spends more than 40% of its income on housing and heating.
The umbrella union for the public sector, known by its acronym ADEDY, called for wage increases and the return of holiday bonuses for civil service, which were equivalent to two months’ salary before they were abolished as part of bailout austerity measures.
Unions planned three protest marches in central Athens later Wednesday morning, with similar demonstrations scheduled in other cities.
