Portugal braces for general strike against austerity cuts
Air traffic controllers and workers on Lisbon's metro system were the first to go on strike late on Wednesday.
They are expected to be joined by hundreds of thousands of other workers, including teachers and hospital staff.
Parliament votes next week on a deficit reduction plan imposed as a result of an EU and IMF bailout.
The strike is expected to one of the biggest in Portugal's history, where mass industrial action is rare.
The strike is being supported by the two main labour unions, which represent more than a million workers.
Many Portuguese are shocked by the scale of austerity the budget implies, says the BBC's Alison Roberts in Lisbon.
The government proposes spending cuts across a broad range of public services, including health care and the armed forces, and tax hikes.
Also planned is the elimination of Christmas and holiday bonuses equal to about a month's pay for most public sector workers and allowing private firms to extend the work day by 30 minutes without overtime pay.
Under the terms of its 78bn euros ($105bn; £67bn) bailout, Portugal's government must sharply reduce its deficit; Kazinform cites BBC.
To learn more go to www.bbc.co.uk
