General strike in Greece on November 6 disrupts air travel, public transport
A 24-hour general strike in Greece on November 6, organised by the country’s two largest trade unions in protest against the government’s continuing austerity measures, was expected to disrupt air travel, public transport and lead to the blockage of all ports in Greece.
The strike has been organised by the General Confederation of Greek Workers and the Civil Servants Confederation while the Greek Federation of State School Teachers of Secondary Education and the Pan-Hellenic Seamen’s Federation said that they would join the strike.
Participation by air traffic controllers in the strike meant that there would be no international flights between noon and 3pm.
Rallies were planned for the morning in the centre of Greek capital city Athens, one by the two unions that called for the general strike and the other by communist-affiliated union PAME, both to culminate in Syntagma Square.
In Sofia, the Foreign Ministry advised Bulgarians to avoid the central parts of Athens on the day of the strike, as well as areas where there were high concentrations of protesters. Travellers also should avoid trying to use maritime transport in Greece on November 6, the ministry said.
(Photo of Athens: Clive Leviev-Sawyer)
