Greece strikes: Holidaymakers hit as Greece grinds to a halt for 48-hour strike
Holidaymakers visiting Greece are once again facing travel disruption as yet another strike grounds flights, disrupts public transport and even closes tourist sights such as the Acropolis.
A 48-hour general strike has been declared across the country from Wednesday morning in response to another round of austerity measures set to be voted on by parliament on Thursday.
The protest, dubbed 'the mother of all strikes', will close down ports, halt trains and cancel flights, although air traffic controllers have softened their action, promising to return to work after just 12 hours.
Cancelled: Athens airport is experiencing major disruption as are Greece's ports
An Athens airport spokeswoman said: 'Since midnight until Wednesday noon, 150 domestic and international flights - arrivals and departures - have been cancelled, while 16 flights have been rescheduled.
'So far, everything is quiet at the airport.'
Both British Airways and easyJet have confirmed they will be affected by the industrial action which officially begins at midday and lasts until midnight.
BA is warning passengers to check their flight status before travel and easyJet is offering to transfer customers with cancelled flights to an alternative time and date.
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The strike is set to be the biggest since the economic crisis began two years ago in Greece and has so far seen 20,000 people take to the streets in Athens.
The last 48-hour action caused widespread violence across the capital as rioters torched shops and cafes and clashed with police.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has warned travellers to check with their airlines before making their journey and has confirmed that trains, as well as the metro which services Athens airport, will not be running.
Stranded: Holidaymakers have had their plans disrupted by air traffic controllers' 12-hour walkout
Holidaymakers are also advised to avoid large crowds and demonstrations as they have become violent during past strikes and been dispersed by tear gas.
Advice on the FCO website reads: 'Exercise extreme caution around public demonstrations and protests in major urban centres. Violent incidents have occurred at and in the margins of such protests.'
Unions representing around half of Greece's four million-strong workforce have vowed to make the strike the biggest in the country's history.
Costas Tsikrikas, head ofGreece's largest public sector union, ADEDY, said: 'We are going to send a loud message to the government and the political system.
'We believe participation will be huge.'
But socialist Prime Minister George Papandreou has condemned the action as short-sighted.
'I would like to ask all those who occupy ministry buildings, choke the streets with garbage, close off ports, close off the Acropolis, if this ! helps us stand on our feet again- of course it does not,' he told parliament.
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