Greek unions plan 24-hour strike

Greece’s ports, banks, government offices and hospitals will be shut down as part of a 24-hour nationwide strike by the country’s two biggest labor unions.

Beginning the strike at dawn on Wednesday, ADEDY, the largest public-sector union, and the General Confederation of Labor, or GSEE, the biggest private-sector union, have called the third general strike of the year against Prime Minister George Papandreou’s budget cuts and asset sales.

On June 9, a 78-billion-euro package, including sales of state holdings in companies and lower public-sector wages, was submitted to parliament, according to dpa.

The measures aim at receiving more aid as Greece, faced with a massive debt crisis, has failed to resolve its financial problems despite receiving a 110-billion-euro EU-IMF bailout loan last year.

Greece has a debt of over EUR 300 billion. The Greek government has estimated an overall unemployment rate of 14.5 percent for its 2011 budget.

Police officers and journalists will also participate in the 24-hour strike and hospitals will be operating with emergency staff only.