New transport strikes planned for Monday in Athens

ATHENS — Mass transit labour unions in Athens said they would stage a series of strikes from Monday to protest a government plan to restructure the debt-ridden public transport sector.

A union source said metro staff would go on a 24-hour strike Monday while bus employees plan to stop work for five hours Monday before embarking on a 48-hour strike from Tuesday.

Unions representing subway, bus and tramway workers, accusing the government of ignoring their proposals in a bill submitted to parliament Friday, said they would meet Monday afternoon to decide on further strike action.

They want the government to scrap plans to cut pay and amend the labour code.

Two weeks ago, the Greek capital was already paralysed by a 24-hour transport strike, the fifth since December, against government plans to overhaul ailing state bus, train and metro services in the Athens area.

The government bill to streamline the debt-ridden public transport sector is part of emergency measures to slash state deficits that nearly bankrupted the Greek economy last year.

The five state companies operating Athens' main public transport fleets had combined losses of 580 million euros ($755 million) in 2009 and an accumulated debt of 3.8 billion euros according to the government.

The transport ministry plans to merge the five companies into two organisations and shift some 1,500 staff out of a total workforce of over 11,000 to other state agencies.

It will also increase fares and eliminate bonuses that pushed staff salaries to disproportionate heights compared to other state companies.

Unions have reacted to austerity measures dictated by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund with several general strikes and waves of street protests, some of them violent.