Greece faced widespread disruptions on Wednesday as a 24-hour general strike brought ferries, flights, and public transport to a standstill, AP News reported.
The industrial action, organised by the country’s two largest labor unions–GSEE (private sector) and ADEDY (public sector)–marks a forceful pushback against decade-old austerity measures imposed during Greece’s financial crisis.
Three major protests converged in central Athens, with parallel demonstrations in other cities.
With all commercial flights cancelled and urban transport operating on limited schedules, the strike reflects growing public frustration over stagnant wages and soaring living costs. Unions demand the restoration of collective bargaining rights and the reinstatement of civil service bonuses equivalent to two months’ salary, benefits scrapped under international bailout terms.
The strike comes as Greece grapples with inflation exacerbated by global trade tensions. GSEE highlighted that over 40% of household incomes now go toward housing and heating.
The high cost of living is eating away at workers’ incomes, without any care from the government.
ADEDY echoed the concerns, citing a 22% drop in real wages since 2010 despite recent GDP growth.
