Epress.am News from Armenia
Greek public servants will walk off the job for 24-hours today in a strike that promises to paralyze state services, shutting down schools, ministries and municipalities as well as partly grounding flights, reports The Wall Street Journal.
Public sector umbrella union ADEDY with its 400,000 strong membership has called the action, the latest of a series of strikes that have plagued the debt-ridden Mediterranean nation, to protests against continuing austerity measures.
The socialist government has cut public sector wages, frozen pay for three years and limited new hires in the civil service as part of the conditions for the EUR110 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund and European Union, to stave off certain bankruptcy.
The day long strike will shut down tax collection offices, municipalities, and ministerial departments.
Air traffic controllers are participating with a four-hour work stoppage. This will ground all flights between 1200 to 1600GMT, to and from Greece, and create chaos for travellers.
Public primary and high schools will be shut down creating problems for working parents.
Meanwhile, public hospitals will run on a skeleton staff for emergencies.
ADEDY will also be holding what are expected to be sizeable but non-violent rallies downtown Athens and in Greece’s second largest city, Thessaloniki, at 0830GMT.