"Government and unions expect country to come to a halt", headlines Diário de Notícias. The November 24 Portuguese general strike against the proposed austerity budget is the severest to hit the country for 22 years. The transport sector is the worst affected, with airports at a standstill and with some 74.2% of trains not running in major urban centres. The government plans to “cut wages for state workers, freeze pensions in 2011 and increase VAT by 2%,” the Lisbon daily notes.
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