Traffic in parts of the Greek capital came to a standstill on Tuesday as Greek transport workers joined a 24-hour public sector strike over pension reforms.

Buses, trolleys, trams and metro transportation will be out of operation for the day.

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Workers from the Athens suburban railway Proastiakos and intercity trains announced late on Monday that they will also participate in the strikes.

Public hospitals will operate on skeleton staffs, as the Panhellenic Federation of Public Hospitals Workers (POEDIN) is also taking part in the protests.

Most ferries at the ports of Piraeus, Lavrio and Rafina will remain docked on Tuesday, as five seamen’s unions are joining the strike, led by the Panhellenic Union of Merchant Navy Seamen (PENEN).

Passengers are advised to contact port authorities and tourist agencies for details. Protesters marched onto Syntagma Square in front of the Parliament building, where the contentious legislation will be voted on by lawmakers.

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Workers’ unions claim that the bill “privatizes social security and pushes thousands of young workers to seek private insurance.”

They also accuse the government of reneging on a promise to rescind all bailout-mandated cuts.

“The bill is nothing less than a continuation of the bailout laws that were voted in 2010-2019 and resulted in pension cuts of 20% up to 60%,” said ADEDY, the country’s largest public sector union, in a statement.

Greek Labor and Social Affairs Minister Yiannis Vroutsis said that the bill, supported by two scientifically-documented studies, “guarantees the sustainability of the social security system until 2070.”

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