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The leader of GSEE Mr. Yannis Panagopoulos denied that there is an organized general strike, argued trade unionists who gathered today at the square in front of the Athens City Hall to protest. The strikers from the public transport, hospital doctors and union of booksellers that were at the square were not concerned by the statement of Mr. Panagopoulos.

The protest of the hospital doctors was announced at the square in front of the City Hall around 12 o’clock at noon, when the protesters numbered not more than 50 people. Some of them held a poster requesting the cancellation of the toll payments for highways. The square was almost full of employees of the public transport and hospital doctors after about an hour. The demonstration of employees of the publishing house Ellinika Gramata joined them too. The employees of the publishing house protested against the dismissal of 100 people from their company. They insisted the redundant people to be given job immediately. The main claim of all protesters is mass redundancies to stop.

The gathered strikers went to Omonia square around 2.00 pm, where they merged into the demonstration of the railway workers. During the protest young girls were handing out pamphlets with requests the privatization to be stopped, banks to become state and payments on the loan to be frozen.

"We need education. Hide your swords and take out your diplomas. But diplomas have no coverage. And how is it possible to get an education when the teachers themselves care only to involve the students in the political party to which they belong and not to open their eyes to new things, to knowledge. We only need democracy, but democracy can not exist without education,” was trying to explain a girl to one of the activists who handed out leaflets against the Troika, supporting at the same time the cause of railway workers although she is not working in the state rail company.

The big protest rally will be held at 6.00 pm at the Klavtmonos square. The reason for it is the Day of Action across Europe against the saving measures that governments take to fight the global economic crisis. Doctors said they will strike for 24 hours. Then only the staff on duty will serve the hospitals. The doctor request "free, public and high-quality healthcare system." Subway employees announces a four-hour strike, buses stopped moving from 11.00 am to 4.00 pm, while dockers did not work in the morning hours. Trains will stop moving for five hours too – from 12 o’clock at noon to 5 pm. Several central boulevards in the city were closed during the midday demonstration in front of the Athens City Hall and because of the rally that went to Syntagma Square.