THOUSANDS of protesters marched yesterday through the streets of Athens and the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki in a 24-hour general strike.

Belgian workers also took action in the latest in a wave of protests throughout Europe over the last few months against the soaring cost of living. 

The strike in Greece disrupted services around the country, with ferries tied up in port — severing connections to Greece’s islands — state-run schools shut, public hospitals running with reduced staff and most public transport grinding to a standstill.

Thousands marched through Athens in two demonstrations. In Thessaloniki scuffles broke out between a small group of protesters and riot police at the tail end of a demonstration there attended by about 11,000 people. 

In Greece’s capital, no buses or trolleys were running, while only one of the three subway lines was operating, running a limited service only until the afternoon.

Workers in Belgium also held a nationwide strike yesterday over cost-of-living increases, snarling traffic through much of the country and disrupting businesses as workers set up picket lines at supermarkets and shopping centres.

Trade unions are calling for wage increases to meet the rising cost of living and the action led most trains and public urban traffic to be reduced to a minimum and 60 per cent of flights to be cancelled at Brussels airport. 

“Workers along with unions are fighting against increased prices that are drowning Greek households,”  the General Confederation of Greek Workers said.

Unions called for an increase in salaries and in the minimum wage, which is currently just over €700 per month for salaried workers, and bolder measures to tackle inflation.

Inflation in the 19 countries that use the euro hit a record 10.7 per cent last month, largely driven by higher energy prices.