General strike shuts down Greece in fresh protests over austerity

Unions called the strike to protest against continued austerity measures as Greece struggles to emerge from a financial crisis that wiped out a quarter of the country’s economy and sent unemployment soaring to 26 per cent.

Airlines cancelled all international and domestic flights after air traffic controllers joined the action. Public transportation in Athens was also severely disrupted as bus, trolley and subway workers took part.

Two demonstrations in central Athens were attended by about 30,000 people while 6,000 marched in the northern city of Thessaloniki.

Greece has been dependent since 2010 on billions of euro in rescue loans from the eurozone and the International Monetary Fund. In return, Greece has had to push through painful austerity measures, including pension and salary cuts.

Two days of talks in Paris between the government and the debt inspectors ended inconclusively yesterday.

Finance minister Gikas Hardouvelis said there could be a brief extension to the bailout “for technical reasons”.