Transport and public services come to a halt
A general strike – the first since SYRIZA and Independent Greeks came to power in January – will bring much of the country to a halt on Thursday.
The strike has been called by the main public and private sector unions, ADEDY and GSEE. As a result, all public services, including tax offices and utilities, are due to be closed. Public hospitals will be operating with skeleton staff. Pharmacists, doctors, teachers and bank employees will also walk off the job.
The Athens metro will be shut throughout the day, as will the Proastiakos suburban railway and intercity trains. The Kifissia-Piraeus electric railway (ISAP) will only operate between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Buses in the capital will be out of service before 9 a.m. and after 9 p.m. There will be no ferry connections between the mainland and the islands as the Panhellenic Seamens’ Federation (PNO) is also joining in the strike. Aegean Airlines and Olympic Air have announced flight cancellations for Thursday.
Museums and archaeological sites will be shut as guards will not be working.
The unions said their aim is to prevent the implementation of the austerity policies included in the third memorandum signed by the government during the summer.
