A nationwide general strike in Greece has disrupted public services across the country, with ferries tied up in port, flights grounded and public transport running only part time as labour unions press for an end to lingering austerity measures imposed on Greece by international creditors a decade ago. Thousands of protesters marched through the centre of the capital Athens in two separate demonstrations that both ended peacefully. The 24-hour strike was called by the two main umbrella unions covering the public and private sectors. They are seeking increases in salaries and a full return of collective bargaining rights which were scrapped as part of international bailouts during Greece's financial crisis. "We demand that increases be given for all salaries, which aren't enough to last until even the 20th of the month," said trade unionist, Alekos Perrakis. "We demand immediate measures for health, for education, for all issues where the lives of workers are getting worse as the profits of large monopolies continue to grow." Commercial flights to and from Greece and between domestic destinations were cancelled from midnight on Wednesday until midnight on Thursday, while in the Greek capital buses, trolleys, trains, trams and the subway system were operating for only part of the day. The country is currently battling a rise in the cost of living amid concerns that global financial turmoil triggered by US tariffs could lead to further hardship. "The high cost of living is eating away at workers' incomes, without any care from the government," said a statement by the General Confederation of Workers of Greece, the private sector's umbrella union, which added that a large segment of the country's population spends more than 40% of its income on housing and heating. "We are fighting for wage increases because none of the increases that have been announced at the moment meet our needs. They are wiped out by the high cost of living, forcing us to cut back everywhere else to survive," explained hotel chef, Georgios Skoufos. The umbrella union for the public sector (ADEDY), called for wage increases and the return of holiday bonuses for civil service, which were equivalent to two months' salary before they were abolished as part of bailout austerity measures. — Euronews
