ATHENS (Reuters – Greek workers launched a national strike Wednesday to protest rising prices and squeezed earnings. This disruption of transport, ferries, schools, and hospitals has caused disruptions.

Two of the country’s largest labour unions representing more than 2.5 million workers in public and private sectors called for a general strike that would culminate in protests in central Athens.

After surviving a decade-long financial crisis, Greece was able to emerge in 2018 from it. However, the coronavirus pandemic caused global travel to stop two years later. This severely damaged Greece’s vital tourism sector.

Workers are now being further affected by rising energy costs, which have been exacerbated since Russia invaded Ukraine in February.

“Over the past 14 years, workers have carried the weight of a profound crisis that has affected every person’s lives and incomes,” declared GSEE, the umbrella private sector union.

“As time goes by, the crises are constantly intensifying, the burdens persist, and our rights shrinking.”

Due to rising fuel, transportation and housing costs, Greece’s consumer inflation reached a record 7.2% in February.

Since September, the government spent approximately 3.7 billion euro ($4 billion), to ease the pressure on farmers, businesses and households from rising fuel and energy costs.

These measures don’t go far enough for the striking workers.

GSEE reported in March that it had suggested a 13% increase of the minimum monthly wage, to 751 euro. This was due to rising inflation.

Conservative government raised minimum wage by 2.2% in January to 663 Euros. Prime Minister Kyriakos Beisotakis promises a larger increase beginning May 1.

($1 = 0.9191 euros)