Strikes are common here and often disrupt transportation and other services, but the May 30 national strike by civil servants went a step farther than usual: port workers in Piraeus trying to prevent tourists from boarding ferries to the islands scuffled with passengers and disputes had to be broken up by police. The one-day strike called by the civil servants umbrella union was the second in two months protesting government welfare and tax reforms, and affected airports, hospitals and ambulances, state-run schools, ministries and tax offices. The union threatened to stage more strikes if demands are not met.
