Greeks take to the streets to protest austerity

Thousands of unionists, pensioners and migrant workers took to the streets of Athens on Wednesday chanting anti-austerity slogans as unions brought the country to a standstill with their 24-hour national strike.

The nationwide strike was organised by Greece’s largest labour unions, the private sector union GSEE and its public sector counterpart ADED who paralysed public transport across most of Greece causing major disruptions to flight schedules and train connections.

Aegean and Olympic Air cancelled three return flights and rescheduled 50 flight legs whilst buses and trolleys were operating on reduced hours and air traffic controllers were due to stage a walkout.

Despite Government assurances of the progress the country has made and its slow exit from the memoranda, union officials and opposition parties remain unconvinced as new austerity measures come into play.

“The government, which implements the same policies that have destroyed the people and the economy, is loading the back of workers and pensioners with new unbearable measures,” said a statement from GSEE, the country’s largest private sector union.