Business
Greece went on a three-day general strike on Friday to protest against proposed pension and tax changes, which may be introduced as part of austerity measures. The trade unions accused Greece's left-led government of damaging the country’s social security system in an attempt to impress the eurozone finance ministers, who will be discussing Greece’s bailout funds next week.
The sudden strike brought the shipping, public transport and civil service departments to a standstill, writes the BBC. Metro, tram, bus, rail and ferry, all modes of transport remained locked down although air travel was not affected.
The nationwide strike comes ahead of a parliamentary vote on Sunday, which seeks to introduce reforms in Greece’s pension system, a precondition for the country’s third international bailout, notes ABC News. The country, with 25 percent of its workforce unemployed, has been forced to adopt austerity measures for the past six years after the international borrowing markets shut doors for it in 2010.
Greece’s Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who came to power on his anti-austerity stand, held extensive negotiations with international lenders and eventually signed up to a third rescue loan, reports ABC News. Opinions polls show a mounting dissent against Tsipras, who currently holds a slim lead in the 300-member parliament.
