POLICE swooped to arrest trade unionists at a picket line yesterday as a national strike by Greek telecommunications workers entered its 14th day.

Workers at the Greek Telecom OTE — owned by the German company Deutsche Telekom — are demanding a single collective trade union agreement and improved terms and conditions.

The All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) trade union organisation said that management of the company had failed to break the strike despite numerous attempts.

Faced with growing support and solidarity from other unions, bosses called the police, who arrested five trade unionists at a picket of the Greek Telecom OTE offices in Thessaloniki.

National strikes took place in October over plans to deregulate the labour market and further erode workers’ rights by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

The Greek economy remains in turmoil after the 2008 crash and a series of bailouts, with the troika of the IMF, World Bank and European Union demanding savage cuts in return.

PAME said telecoms unions were at the front line of the struggle and would not be intimidated by the bosses, with action set to continue.