Public transport strike off due to bad weather
The public transport strike that was due to take place in Athens on Wednesday has been called off by unions because of the cold snap that has gripped the capital.
Transport workers? unions said that they were canceling the action because they wanted to make it easier for Athenians to get around in the tricky conditions.
?We are going to carry out exactly what we have been preaching about all this time, which is to serve citizens and to ensure that transportation is safe,? the unions said in a joint statement without proposing a new date for the strike.
Earlier, trolley bus drivers had called off the stoppages they had planned for Tuesday, again due to the freezing weather.
The protests were against the government?s decision to increase fares by up to 40 percent and to transfer staff from some departments.
On Tuesday morning, Greeks were warned to make only absolutely necessary journeys as gale force winds and snow made conditions difficult in many parts of the country.
The weather led to power cuts on a number of islands, parts of the mainland an in some neighborhoods of Athens. The lack of electricity as well as the dangerous conditions prompted authorities to shut down dozens of schools.
A number of roads in the capital, including those that run through the mountains of Pendeli and Parnitha have been closed to traffic. Some roads in the Peloponnese, central Greece and the north of the country were closed.
The winds, which reach up to 10 Beaufort in some parts, also led to the closure of the ports of Piraeus, Lavrio and Rafina.
