FLASH
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A nationwide strike by public and private sector workers will paralyze Greece today as the pro-business government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis comes under increased pressure to deal with a worsening cost-of-living crisis.
Unions demanding "dignified wages" in the face of rising consumer costs and growing wealth inequality vowed the 24-hour strike would bring the country to a standstill, with protest rallies planned in cities across the country.
Government offices, schools, hospitals and public transport, including the island's train and ferry services, are expected to be affected by the strike which began with workers in state and private media on Tuesday.
Union leaders have accused the centre-right administration of failing to tackle rising inflation and argue that the rising cost of living has eroded living standards to the point where many struggle to survive.
"The cost of living is too high and our wages are low, while high housing costs have left young people in a tragic position," said Yannis Panagopoulos, who heads the main private sector union, GSEE.
Like other labor groups, GSEE accused the government of "refusing to take any meaningful measures that would provide workers with dignified living conditions."
Low-income Greeks with a minimum wage of less than 900 euros a month in a country where retail, telecommunications and energy prices are among the highest in Europe are being forced to protest.
The left-wing opposition has often claimed that the less privileged are forced to pay "British prices for Bulgarian wages".
Mitsotakis recently pledged to raise the minimum wage to 950 euros, but with housing costs also rising, he has faced criticism that it is simply not enough in a society where the gap between rich and poor has widened in recent years.
The general strike comes in stark contrast to the economic progress Greece has made since emerging from the debt crisis that almost saw it leave the eurozone a decade ago.
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