Thousands come to Greece labor activists’ rallies in downtown Athens

A nationwide general strike in Greece disrupted public services across the country Wednesday, with ferries tied up in port, flights grounded and public transportation running only part time as labor unions press for an end to lingering austerity measures imposed on the country by international creditors a decade ago, AP reports.

Thousands of protesters marched through the center of Athens in two separate demonstrations that ended peacefully.

The 24-hour strike was called by the two main umbrella unions covering the public and private sectors. They are seeking increases in salaries and a full return of collective bargaining rights which were scrapped as part of international bailouts during Greece’s financial crisis.

Commercial flights to and from Greece and between domestic destinations were cancelled from midnight Wednesday until midnight Thursday, while in the Greek capital buses, trolleys, trains, trams and the subway system were operating only for part of the day.