Greek trade unionists, furious at government plans to reform its creaking pension system, shut down much of the country on Thursday and led thousands of protesters on to the streets.
Buses, taxis, trolley buses and the Athens metro ground to halt, turning the capital's normally frenetic streets into relatively traffic-free zones.
Government agencies, schools, and newspapers were closed. Banks and hospitals struggled with skeleton staff. Ferry boats remained in dock.
The state-owned Olympic Airways curtailed services to just one flight per destination, although civil aviation and other officials at the new Athens international airport said there were no serious problems.
A raucous demonstration wound its way through central Athens after union leaders delivered fiery speeches demanding the government finance the troubled state pension funds.
"The state must assume its responsibilities," union leader Dimitris Kouselas told a rally. "You have spoken and demanded a viable social insurance system."
State television went off the air and radio news stations broadcast only music, interspersed with taped messages from the journalists' union explaining the reasons for the strike.
Greece's public power utility DEH called on customers to conserve energy as the strike threatened to stretch its network to the limit.
Volume on the Athens Stock Exchange was light as investors stayed away along with many others who could not get to work -- ATHENS (Reuters)
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