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Greece labor unions strike

November 27, 2014

Greece's two biggest labor unions have begun a day-long strike, bringing short and long distance transportation to a halt. Stringent austerity measures, which threaten to intensify in 2015, prompted the work protest.

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An announcement board indicating that all flights are cancelled is seen at the Athens Eleftherios Venizelos airport during a 24-hour general strike in Athens, Greece, 27 November 2014. EPA/YANNIS KOLESIDIS
Image: picture-alliance/epa/Y. Kolesidis

A mass transportation strike began in Greece on Thursday. Private sector union GSEE and its public sector counterpart, ADEDY, called the protest in reaction to deep cutting austerity measures, which have seen unemployment rates soar.

All domestic and international flights were canceled, with air traffic controllers also walking off the job. Buses and the subway in Athens did not run on Thursday either. Across the country, doctors were only providing emergency care. There were also reports of teachers going on strike.

"GSEE is resisting the dogmatic obsession of the government and the troika with austerity policies and tax hikes," the union said ahead of the strike. "Troika" refers to Greece's lenders: the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

Athens' approach was to return the labor market to "medieval times," the union added.

This week, Greek lawmakers failed to convince the troika that its 2015 budget would meet target levels. The lenders reportedly wanted additional fiscal measures before releasing more money.

Thursday's strikes come ahead of a deadline for Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras' government to clinch the next tranche of its bailout before EU finance ministers meet on December 8.

Thousands of protesters were expected to march to parliament in the evening in a culmination of the nationwide strike.

Repeated income cuts and tax hikes have deepened a six-year recession in Greece, with unemployment remaining above 26 percent.

kms/nm (AP, Reuters, dpa)