Greece is hit by more strikes on Thursday as unions step up their action against the government’s austerity policies.

There will be no buses or trolley buses in Athens on Thursday, while the Proastiakos suburban railway and trains on the Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE) network will also be out of action. The metro will stop at Doukissis Plakentias station as the rest of the line to Athens International Airport is operated by OSE.

The capital’s metro, electric railway and tram will run normally as workers on these fixed-track modes of transport were issued with civil mobilization orders last week.

The nine-day strike on the metro and stoppages on the electric railway and tram cost transport authorities about 6 million euro in lost ticket revenues.

The Public Power Corporation (PPC) workers’ union, GENOP-DEI, has called a 24-hour strike for Thursday in support of transport employees.

Hospitals and healthcare centers will be operating on skeleton staffs Thursday as doctors and nurses walk off the job to protest shortages and poor working conditions. Unions claim that there is a lack of 6,000 extra doctors and another 20,000 hospital staff.

The civil servants’ union, ADEDY, has lent its support to the strike and has called on members to walk off the job from noon until the end of the early shift.

A 48-hour strike by the Panhellenic Seamen’s Federation also begins on Thursday. The sailors are protesting a change to the law that would allow ferry firms to employee less staff for sailings between November 1 and March 31.