Greek strike causes travel chaos
A massive strike in Greece is causing headaches for tens of thousands of travelers in this southeastern European country. Over 100,000 workers walked off the job in all sectors, in order to express their opposition to government plans aimed at reforming the country’s pension scheme. Well over 60 flights operated by Olympic Airlines were cancelled, with roughly half being international and the other half having been comprised of domestic routes. Additionally, a total of 23 flights operated by Aegean, Greece’s alternative carrier, were also cancelled over the course of the day.
While the strike wrecked havoc for those relying on air travel, people who use trains did not fare any better. According to news reports, virtually all intercity train service in Greece was suspended due to the mass strike. City buses, trams and underground trains were also reported to have experienced disruptions as part of the walk-out.
The Greek government is contemplating a restructuring of the country’s pension scheme in order to cut operating costs. Many Greek workers, however, are unhappy with this proposed reform and some took the streets in violent protests. There have been reports of protesters hurling rocks and other projectiles at police officers, while a handful even turned to fire bombs. Riot police were called in, but they often spent hours battling the crowd. Despite this vocal and widespread opposition, most political analysts believe that the bill proposing these changes is almost certain to pass a vote in the national legislature.