24 Hour Strike

A 24-hour strike by journalists in Italy disrupted radio and television newscasts on Saturday and forced newspapers to cancel Sunday editions. The journalists' union FNSI called the strike to back up demands for more pay and new working practices in contract talks with employers. Four more 24-hour strikes are planned, the next on Tuesday.

Hundreds of thousands of teachers, police workers, immigration officers and other government employees walked off the job Thursday across Britain in a mass strike that could augur a summer of industrial action over deep cuts in public spending. The picket lines went up to protest proposed changes to state-sponsored pension plans, which would require public-sector workers to increase their contributions, retire later and collect less than they do now. The government says overhauling the system is imperative in light of the country's huge budget deficit and Britons' longer lifespans.

Locomotive engineers walked off the job Friday to begin a 24-hour strike that threatened to paralyze Italy's rail system, officials said. Union officials said further strikes will be scheduled for Oct. 22, 23 and 24 if no settlement is reached on pay.

If you are heading to Britain this week, be patient. Travelers entering the country are being warned to expect delays Wednesday night and Thursday at airports, international train stations and ports because of a planned 24-hour strike by passport control workers, according to a UK Border Agency statement. The statement said the start of the strike and its impact will vary by location. Here's the 411: -- Gatwick and Heathrow airports in London said in Twitter updates that only arriving passengers may be affected; those departing the country don't go through passport control.

About 130,000 engineers, technicians and university employees staged a 24-hour strike Thursday, disrupting work at military industries, delaying flights and slowing down work at government offices. The three unions called the strike to press wage demands in stalled contract negotiations.

Nearly 2 million workers staged a 24-hour strike to protest government economic austerity measures, shutting down transportation and businesses. Rallies throughout the country denounced price increases and the abolition of inflation-linked wage increases for civil servants, measures adopted after Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis took office in April. He has been touring European capitals seeking investments for Greece's economic recovery.

A 24-hour strike by Australian dock workers left the country's major ports idle Friday, a shipping industry official said. The strike by an estimated 10,000 waterfront workers, which started at midnight Thursday, would cost shipping companies about $1 million, the official said. About 60 ships in 11 ports were affected by the stoppage, said Assn. of Employers of Waterside Labor official Gerry Johnstone. Passenger vessels, perishable cargoes and livestock were exempted from the dispute.

The major labor unions of France challenged Premier Jacques Chirac with a strike by public workers Tuesday but failed to gather enough support to paralyze the cities, as they had threatened, or to weaken his conservative government. The 24-hour strike hampered public transportation but not enough to close down the Metro system. More than two-thirds of the subway trains were running by midday. Parisians usually judge the strength of a strike by how much it ties up the Metro.

Argentine trains were paralyzed by a 24-hour strike Tuesday called by three of the country's four railway workers' unions to demand higher pay.

Argentina's local and international communications were plagued Wednesday by a 24-hour strike by workers of the state-owned ENTel telephone company who are demanding higher pay.

In a bad omen for a peak vacation season just getting started, Lufthansa pilots staged a 24-hour strike Thursday that left 65,000 passengers on the ground and cost Europe's second-largest airline at least $23 million. The second walkout in a week by the union representing the German national carrier's 4,200 pilots ratcheted up the animosity level on both sides.

Gas Company Workers Plan Strike: Union-represented workers of Southern California Gas Co. said they would stage a 24-hour strike, beginning at 6 a.m. today, to protest plans by the utility company to hire outside contractors to perform some of their jobs. The unions, which contend that the use of outside contractors compromises customers' safety, will also hold a rally downtown and picket company facilities.

Portugal's railways were virtually paralyzed Friday by a 24-hour strike, a spokesman for the state-run network said. The stoppage is the latest in a series of one-day rail strikes staged over the last two months to demand better pay, better working conditions and a shorter workweek.

Public transportation workers staged a 24-hour strike Wednesday to back demands for a new pay agreement, bringing bus and tram services to a virtual halt in the Portuguese capital.

A 24-hour strike by Australian dock workers left the country's major ports idle Friday, a shipping industry official said. The strike by an estimated 10,000 waterfront workers, which started at midnight Thursday, would cost shipping companies about $1 million, the official said. About 60 ships in 11 ports were affected by the stoppage, said Assn. of Employers of Waterside Labor official Gerry Johnstone. Passenger vessels, perishable cargoes and livestock were exempted from the dispute.

Nearly 2 million workers staged a 24-hour strike to protest government economic austerity measures, shutting down transportation and businesses. Rallies throughout the country denounced price increases and the abolition of inflation-linked wage increases for civil servants, measures adopted after Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis took office in April. He has been touring European capitals seeking investments for Greece's economic recovery.

About 15,000 employees of 500 newspapers and periodicals went on a 24-hour strike Monday for higher pay and greater press freedom. The strike began after negotiations with the government broke down.

Rome air traffic controllers announced Wednesday that they have postponed a 24-hour strike scheduled for today for one week to permit resumed negotiations over disputes with management over pay and working conditions.

Argentina's local and international communications were plagued Wednesday by a 24-hour strike by workers of the state-owned ENTel telephone company who are demanding higher pay.