Greece grinds to a halt for huge public strikes

Trains ground to a halt and hospitals worked with emergency staff as Greek workers went on strike yesterday in protest at government plans to fire thousands of public sector employees.

Athens must reform and shrink its civil service to receive more bailout funds from foreign lenders but the latest plan of job cuts has sparked uproar among Greeks struggling with an unemployment rate of nearly 27%.

More than a week of marches by municipal workers are expected to culminate in a rally before parliament in the capital, with garbage collectors, bus drivers, bank employees, and journalists among the groups joining the walkout.