Power Workers Launch 48-Hour Strike

Employees of the Public Power Corporation launched a 48-hour nationwide strike on 16 March 2010 to protest austerity measures. The power workers' union, Genop, last observed a strike in 2008, which resulted in power outages over a two-week period. The current strike has shut down seven power units, but the union stated in an announcement that the strikers do not aim to cause power cuts for consumers. Separately, doctors at public hospitals in Athens also went on strike to demand payment for overtime work. As the week progresses, the strike is expected to extend to most hospitals in the Attica region and possibly to the rest of the country, which will mean that hospitals will only treat emergency cases. Meanwhile, the civil servants' union ADEDY called for a rally to be held against the austerity measures on 23 March; the union also warned that it will organize a new strike but did not announce a date.