Greece hit by new wave of strikes

Pharmacists, lawyers and railway workers launched a strike on Wednesday (January 19th) against austerity measures, including a proposal to open the so-called “closed professions”. Pharmacists and lawyers will strike for three days, while the railway workers’ action will last two days, cancelling all train services.

The strikes coincided with the government submitting a draft measure to parliament that would open up dozens of professions that currently benefit from strictly controlled licensing or fixed profit margins.