Strikes and work stoppages have been announced for the rest of week by labour and civil servant unions, as well as associations representing lawyers, pharmacists and the debt-plagued Greek Railways (OSE).

Pharmacists across Greece have been urged to participate in three successive 24-hour strikes, beginning on Wednesday, with successive 24-hour strikes scheduled to be held next week.

Pharmacists' unions are mostly against a proposed extension of work hours, liberalisation of pharmacy ownership provisions, a greater discount allocated to social insurance funds and any relaxation of population restrictions for opening a new pharmacy.

Designated pharmacies will be open during shopping hours to serve emergencies during the strike, while during night hours pharmacies will open as scheduled.

Meanwhile, the Bar Associations in Greece have called on members to participate in protests on Jan. 19, 20 and 21 -- against the government-sponsored liberalisation of their profession -- by abstaining from their court appearances, except from the Athens Bar Association, which will decide on its stance in a meeting on Jan. 19.

The lawyers object to several draft law provisions including the level of the legal fees and the lifting of geographic restrictions in law practices.

Greek Railways (OSE) trains will not be running on Jan. 19 and 20 as a result of the 48-hour strike announced. TRAINOSE trains, the Proastiakos Athens suburban railway and the Patra-Kiato intercity buses will not be running as well.

The General Confederation of Employees of Greece (GSEE), Greece’s largest private sector umbrella trade union organisation, has decided to a hold four-hour work stoppage between 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Thursday for all contract staff in the public and private sectors.

This action will coincide with a work stoppage being held at the same time by permanent public-sector staff, announced by the civil servants’ union federation ADEDY.

Air traffic controllers' strike declared illegal

A 24-hour strike called for Wednesday by the Federation of Civil Aviation groups (OSYPA) is in essence uncertain, since an Athens court declared the mobilisation illegal.

According to a relevant announcement, the court's ruling was delivered to OSYPA with a court bailif.