With the global financial crisis as a background, the growing threat from terrorist attacks and the prison break of the best secured prisoners, the Greek public employees announced a 24 hour strike. All public schools remain closed today and all public hospitals will only service emergency cases. The Navy and the air-controllers also participate in the strike but only for three hours. As a result Olympic and Aegean Airways cancelled tens of flights. Over 30 local Olympic Air flights are cancelled and over 30 will depart late. From the international destinations, the flight to Istanbul and Larnaka are cancelled. Aegean cancelled 15 local flights and one international – to Bucharest.

In the center of Athens, at 11:00am the public employees syndicate organized a big protest procession, in order to show their demands for cancelling the temporary labor contracts and their change with permanent, a more fair medical insurance system, and higher salaries.