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Over the next 24 hours Greece will be in the grip of the first general strike that the unions of public and private sector workers GSEE and ADEDY have announced against the new austerity measures passed by parliament in fulfilment of the commitments under the third rescue programme.

Thus, public sector employees across the country, along with municipal employees will be on strike all day on 12 November. The trade union has invited all to participate in the major protest march that it will organize together with the union of private sector employees at 11:00 am in Klafthmonos Square in the centre of Athens and in local workers’ centres.

Due to the involvement of the employees of the state railway OSE in the strike, tonight trains will not travel the following routes: Athens - Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki - Edessa - Florina - Thessaloniki, Piraeus - Athens - Afidnes - Halkida - Athens - Piraeus, Alexandroupolis - Dikea - Alexandroupolis and Larissa - Volos - Larissa. Tomorrow the railway traffic will be interrupted, with the exception of evening trains on the route Athens - Thessaloniki and Thessaloniki - Athens. On Friday no trains will serve the lines Florina - Thessaloniki and Dikea - Alexandroupolis.

Heavy traffic is expected on the streets in central Athens and around it because the trade union of Athens underground workers has announced that trains will stop serving the network for 24 hours. Those who wish to travel by public transport will be able to travel only by bus and only between 09:00 am and 09:00 pm. The electric train that connects Piraeus with the northern Athens suburb of Kifissia and trams will run between 10:00 am and 04:00 pm.

Following the decision of the federation of port workers to participate in the strike from midnight today to Thursday midnight, no ships will sail to and from all Greek ports.

By decision of the federation of civil aviation employees, all flights will be interrupted from 00:01 to 24.00 on 12 November.

The 24-hour strike will also involve the staff of public hospitals, lawyers, employees of museums and archaeological sites. Journalists and other media personnel will also be on strike from 06:00 am on Thursday to 06:00 am on Friday with the exception of those who will cover the strike rallies and processions.

As usual, the union of the Communist Party of Greece PAME will hold a separate demonstration in Omonia Square at twelve o’clock.

The appeal of SYRIZA’s Labour Policy Department to workers, the unemployed, pensioners and young people to participate en masse in the strike announced by the two main trade unions has provoked significant interest and a series of reactions.

The ruling party states that "today, in the course of negotiations, the demands of workers and the working mobilization in general are becoming particularly critical, which should be directed against the neoliberal policies and extortion on the part of the economic and political centres in and outside Greece."

SYRIZA adds that "the fight against the extreme neoliberal policies that are opposed to our people continues even more intensively. We insist on complying with our fundamental right to work, effectively restoring the collective labour agreements, preserving the social and redistributive nature of social security, protecting the housing of households, satisfactory salaries and pensions, healthcare and education for all."