The strike on Wednesday is a reminder that government confidence of a slowly improving economic situation is not shared by many on the streets.
The 24-hour strike is forcing the closure of schools and state-run offices and leaving hospitals working with emergency staff.
The strike has been called by Greece's two biggest labour unions, representing half the four million-strong workforce.The strike was called by the country’s largest labor unions, GSEE, representing private workers who have a 27% unemployment rate, and ADEDY, representing public workers, who have a 0 percent unemployment rate but are protesting pay cuts, tax hikes and slashed pensions.
Prime Minister Antonis Samaras's eight-month-old government has taken a tough line on strikers, invoking emergency law twice this year to order seamen and metro staff back to work.
But despite such measures,Strikes and violent protests have become commonplace
"The (strike) is our answer to the dead-end policies that have squeezed the life out of workers, impoverished society and plunged the economy into recession and crisis," the private sector union GSEE said
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