Greece police break up Athens underground workers' strike - Jan 25,2013

Greek police have stormed a metro train depot in the capital Athens, breaking up a sit-in by striking workers.

 

The workers had been on the ninth successive day of strike action that has crippled the underground system.Workers on the underground had been striking over a public sector unified wage scheme that would see their salaries reduced by up to 25%.

Antonis Stamatopoulos,the head of the Athens Metro workers union, whose members have been on strike for eight days over pay cuts, said they would not return to work, despite a mobilization order from the government they could be fired or jailed if they don't comply.

The conservative-led government used an emergency law to threaten the strikers with arrest unless they went back to work. It was not clear if the move would lead to transport resuming.

Strikers are opposed to proposals which might see their salaries slashed.

The operation took place shortly before 04:00 local time (02:00 GMT), with around 100 riot police officers entering the depot where workers had barricaded themselves in overnight.