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Greece police break up Athens metro workers' strike Greece police break up Athens underground workers' strike
(35 minutes later)
Greek police have stormed a metro train depot in the capital Athens, breaking up a sit-in by striking workers.Greek police have stormed a metro train depot in the capital Athens, breaking up a sit-in by striking workers.
The workers had been on the ninth successive day of strike action that has crippled the underground system.The workers had been on the ninth successive day of strike action that has crippled the underground system.
The conservative-led government used an emergency law to threaten the strikers with arrest unless they went back to work. It was not clear if the move would lead to transport resuming.The conservative-led government used an emergency law to threaten the strikers with arrest unless they went back to work. It was not clear if the move would lead to transport resuming.
Strikers are opposed to moves which might see their salaries slashed. Strikers are opposed to proposals which might see their salaries slashed.
Bus drivers and railway workers were to join the strike on Friday. The operation took place shortly before 04:00 local time (02:00 GMT), with around 100 riot police officers entering the depot.
The government is trying to implement austerity measures that are unpopular with trade unions. A police spokesman told the BBC three people were arrested and subsequently released. The area around the depot has now been cordoned off to prevent others from joining the strike.
The government is using civil mobilisation legislation, which has only been invoked nine times since the collapse of Greece's military dictatorship in 1974.
Workers on the underground had been striking over a public sector unified wage scheme that would see their salaries reduced by up to 25%.
Bus drivers and railway workers were to join the strike on Friday. Transport unions say they will continue their action, raising the possibility that some could face arrest and criminal charges, with a prison sentence of up to five years.
This is now becoming a significant stand-off and a test of the government's resolve over austerity measures opposed by trade unions, the BBC's Mark Lowen reports from Athens.
Public opinion is split over the issue, but with commuters facing long taxi queues as temperatures fall, the government feels that it may just get the support it needs to hold firm, our correspondent says.