Sponsored Links

Portuguese go on general strike, halt public transport

LISBON, June 27 | Thu Jun 27, 2013 3:45am EDT

LISBON, June 27 (Reuters) - Public transport in Portugal came to a virtual standstill on Thursday as the two main unions mounted a one-day strike against austerity measures which have resulted in record unemployment and the worst economic slump since the 1970s.

Unions hope the fourth general strike in two years will pressure the government to boost growth and ease the relentless belt-tightening which led to the sharpest tax hikes in living memory this year.

Trains were not running, metro and ferry services stopped in Lisbon, and many bus routes were suspended, forcing those who chose to go to work take longer, alternative routes that were served by fewer buses than usual.

State-owned airline TAP has warned of possible disruption but not cancelled any flights.
Bonds News
Bonds
Markets
Portugal
 
We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/
Comments (0)
Be the first to comment on reuters.com.
Add yours using the box above.