Greek telecom company strikes

The Greek state run Telecommunications company closed today due to strike action by unions protesting the government's decision by the Marfin Investment Group to sell 20% of the company to Deutsche Telecom. Workers in the OME-OTE union have declared a series of three 24 hour strikes in the coming days despite efforts legal moves by management to have the strikes declared illegal.

The OTE offices in the centre of the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki were draped in black in protest by employees as what they see as a attempt by the New Democracy governemnt to privatise the state run organisation.

The action comes less than a week after the previous massive round of strikes by public sector workers in protest against controversial pension reform plans by the conservative government. Today in parliament the opposition socialist PASOK party said that it would call for a vote of no-confidence in parliament over the government's handling of pension reforms.