Athens was brought to standstill today after Greek trade union GSEE called for general strike, inviting all workers, pensioners, students and unemployed to participate. GSEE stands for General Confederation of Greek Workers. The union is the largest in the country and represents public sector workers.

The strike greatly affected public transport in Athens, with metro, trains and trams out of operation effectively stopping the traffic. As part of the strike action, ships remained in ports today, and Greek media performed a 24-hour blackout, with journalists walking off work. No news were broadcasted on TV or radio, and today’s newspapers were not printed. The blackout was organised the day before the strike in order to allow media coverage of today’s events. A large rally was held in Greek capital, with similar gatherings in all the major cities of the country.

The workers demand end of excessive taxation, a minimum wage of 751 Euro, work for all, reintroduction of collective labor agreements and a fair social security system without cuts to benefits and pensions.

Photo: GSEE