Life grinds to halt in Greece after general strike

By Furkan Naci Top

ATHENS (AA) - An ongoing general strike in protest against the government's austerity measures and economy policies hit public services, especially transportation hard on Wednesday.

Demonstrations are expected to be held in capital Athens and Thessaloniki later in the day in support of the general strike call given by the public sector union ADEDY, private sector union GSEE and Greek Communist Party-affiliated union PAME.

Tens of flights were cancelled and delayed at the Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport where air traffic controllers also participated in the strike for three hours.

Hospitals, except for emergency services, as well as primary and secondary schools are also shut.

Train services and maritime transport, especially the ones linking the islands and the mainland, were fully cancelled. Buses and trolleybuses in Athens also are not providing service.

Newscasts are also not being aired after journalists too decided to participate in the general strike. Newspapers are not expected to be published on Thursday as well.

Greece has been the recipient of three bailout deals since 2010. It has worked to avoid bankruptcy with the financial help of the International Monetary Fund, European Union, and the European Central Bank and borrowed what amounts to €260 billion ($306 billion).

In late 2017, the country reached a deal with its lenders on reforms that they must perform under its bailout program, in a hope to end the aid program by August.

In return for the money borrowed, the leftist government had to impose tax hikes, more structural reforms, as well as pension cuts that have angered austerity-hit Greeks, as well as a law to tighten the rules on calling for a strike.