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General strikes hit Greece and Portugal
AFP - Friday, July 9
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General strikes hit Greece and Portugal
ATHENS (AFP) - – Thousands joined general strikes in Greece and Portugal on Thursday bringing planes, trains and ferries to a halt in a new protest against austerity spending cuts.
Greece was worst hit thousands of tourists stranded by the halt in plane traffic and boats to the country's many resort islands.
In Portugal the main impact was on trains around the second city of Porto but demonstrations were called in many cities.
The general strike in Greece was the sixth held this year and came only hours after parliament increased the retirement age to 65 as part of a pensions reform law aiming to save billions of euros.
More than 80 international and domestic flights were cancelled and 110 delayed when air traffic controllers joined the strike, aviation officials said.
No trains ran, city buses were off the streets and all ships were also blocked in ports. Tourists were warned that ferry departures would be put back to Friday.
The public administration, hospitals and state companies were all badly hit by the 24 hour strike.
Several thousand people took part in rallies in Athens and other major cities called by the GSEE labour confederation for the private sector, Adedy for government employees and the communist confederation Pame.
Two separate rallies marched toward the Greek parliament in Athens.
Parliament staff joined the strike, but officials said they expected the second day of debate on the new law to go ahead unhindered.
All unions strongly oppose the government action to cut the national debt approaching 300 billion euros. Greece's public debt has been estimated at 13.6 percent of gross domestic product.
The new law passed by the Greek parliament is the latest in a series of measures taken to ease the country's debt crisis which has rocked international markets.
The law was passed by 159 votes to 137 with two independents joining the ruling socialists and all opposition parties voting against.
The retirement age has been increased from 60 to 65 and pensions are cut by an average of seven percent.
The government agreed to press through the measures in return for a 110 billion euro (134 billion dollar) rescue loan from the European Union and International Monetary Fund.
Portuguese railway workers were the spearhead of the day of action called by unions against government spending cuts to reduce the country's debt.
The Portuguese national rail company, CP, said urban transport around the second city of Porto had been worst affected by the strike. A spokeswoman said 80 percent of trains around the capital Lisbon had been able to run.
Unions said that the general strike would also affect the steel industry and electrical and chemical industries. Demonstrations have been called in several Portuguese cities.
Portugal's socialist government ordered one round of spending cuts in February in a bid to cut the national debt. It presented new measures in May which include higher taxes, lower welfare payments and a hiring freeze in the public sector.
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