Port workers launch strike causing cancellations and delays of ferries

Greek port workers launched a one-day strike on 23 June 2010 to protest the government's economic austerity measures and planned pension and labor reforms. Hundreds of striking workers gathered at the Piraeus port and blocked passengers from boarding ferries bound for Greek islands, resulting in the cancellation of at least eight scheduled sailings to Crete, Mykonos and Paros, among other locations. In Athens, approximately 5,000 people staged a march through the central area of the city; there were no reports of violence or arrests. Meanwhile, railway workers staged a series of two-hour strikes that resulted in disruptions to intercity trains as well as rail access between Athens and the city's international airport (LGAV/ATH). Greece's main public and private sector unions will stage a general strike on 29 June that is expected to result in significant disruptions to transportation, business operations and public services; large-scale rallies in Athens and Thessaloniki will likely accompany the strike.