It started: Everything's suspended, people took to the streets VIDEO

It started: Everything's suspended, people took to the streets VIDEO

The 24-hour strike by Greece's largest private and public sector unions is also expected to close public services and state schools and disrupt city transport.

It is the latest in a series of protests following a head-on collision between a passenger and freight train in the central Greek region of Tempe. There were more than 350 people in the passenger train, mostly students.

The strikers, who accuse the conservative government and the country's political establishment of ignoring calls from unions over flawed rail safety systems, will begin gathering outside parliament at nine o'clock.

"We want to collectively express our disappointment at what hasn't happened in years, but above all, we want to express our anger at what happened in Tempe," the GSEE union said in a statement.

"We will not allow the lack of transparency, cover-up, denial of responsibility and any delays to lead to oblivion", it was pointed out. A judicial investigation of the accident has been launched.

On March 16, all flights will be stopped between 00:01 am and midnight local time, and only flyovers, emergency flights and rescue flights will be allowed.

The accident sparked public outrage. Last week, tens of thousands of people gathered in Athens and other cities across Greece in the biggest street protests the government has faced since the 2019 elections.