Greece: Transport system paralyzed by strike

Greek sea traffic was completely paralyzed on April 16 due to a strike by sailors, dockworkers and maritime industry employees, protesting against government reforms.

The strike, organized by the Greek Maritime Association, has paralyzed freight and passenger services to the country's 227 islands.

Trade unions are demanding that the Greek parliament scrap a bill to restructure industries because it would lead to wage cuts and restrictions on social benefits.

The sailors also demanded wages owed to them by some private companies.

Following the maritime industry, railway workers also went on strike last night, protesting the Greek government's plan to privatize the railway industry and demanding preferential treatment for passengers.

The strike disrupted rail and tram traffic, causing a series of train cancellations and train schedules and itineraries to be rearranged.

People protest against austerity economic policies in Thessaloniki on March 20. (Source: AFP/VNA)

This railway strike is expected to continue on April 17 and 18.

After the maritime and railway sectors, employees in other sectors such as doctors and teachers also plan to strike on April 17 to protest the government's agreement with the "troika" of international donors (including the International Monetary Fund, the European Central Bank, and the European Union) on a plan to cut 15,000 civil servants by the end of 2014 and 150,000 by 2015.

Greece has been in a terrible public debt crisis since 2010. Since then, the country has had to negotiate with the "troika" of creditors about a bailout worth hundreds of billions of euros to avoid bankruptcy.

However, to receive funding, Greece had to accept an "austerity" economic program, sharply cutting budget spending, leading to mass layoffs in the economy as well as reducing social welfare.

The implementation of this program has led to consecutive large-scale protests by Greek workers against the Government's policies, affecting the country's socio-economic activities as well as leading to early general elections and deadlock in forming a government./.

According to (TTXVN) - DT