Greeks strike over profession reforms

Greek pharmacy owners, lawyers and civil engineers and other professional groups staged strikes on the 19 January 2011 to protest against the socialist government’s plans to open up so-called 'closed-shop' professions under the terms of its €110bn bail-out loan with the EU and IMF.

The walk-outs came as George Papaconstantinou, finance minister, prepared to unveil a draft bill to liberalise about 150 closed shops at a cabinet meeting later on the 19 January 2011.