The ancient site of the Acropolis and the Parthenon remained closed to visitors for the third consecutive day yesterday as Culture Ministry staff continued their strike over pay and benefits.

Protesting workers are complaining that a 150-euro bonus reportedly promised to them by Minister Michalis Liapis has not been included in the government’s budget for next year.

Liapis, for his part, has made no official statement regarding the strike nor explained why the Acropolis remains closed to the public. Meanwhile tourist agencies are said to have received countless complaints from visitors whose plans to visit the Acropolis have been thwarted.

The development comes just a few days before the scheduled removal of the scaffolding on the Propylaea, the monumental gateway to the Acropolis.