Rail workers strike in Portugal

Train traffic was heavily disrupted across Portugal Wednesday as public sector railway staff staged the latest strike against government austerity measures.

Only 20 percent of trains were running in the morning, as controllers and commercial agents protested salary cuts imposed by the government in January.

Rail workers also struck Tuesday, following a series of transportation work stoppages last week notably in metro and bus services.

Wide ranging cuts in public sector pay by Socialist Prime Minister Jose Socrates’ government have met fierce opposition from trade unions who organised Portugal’s first general strike in more than two decades last November.