Europe



Public services have shut down across Greece as workers hold the first general strike since the country’s government initially came to power in January.

Members of the PAME Communist-affiliated union protest outside the Greek parliament during a 24-hour nationwide general strike in Athens, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015.

Members of the PAME Communist-affiliated union protest outside the Greek parliament during a 24-hour nationwide general strike in Athens, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015. Image by (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Transport was severely disrupted, with the Athens metro not running, bus and trolley routes reduced and ferries tied up in port. The strike shut down museums, schools and pharmacies, while state hospitals were functioning with emergency staff.

More than a dozen domestic flights were cancelled, while journalists also walked off the job, pulling news bulletins off the air except to report strike news.

A woman walks past a locked door of the port of Piraeus, near Athens during a 24-hour strike called by labor unions.

A woman walks past a locked door of the port of Piraeus, near Athens during a 24-hour strike called by labor unions. Image by AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Workers are protesting austerity measures imposed as part of Greece’s third bailout, and two demonstrations are planned in Athens.

The labour policy division of prime minister Alexis Tsipras’s left-wing Syriza party has backed the strike, calling for mass participation.

(Press Association)