Portugalfaced its second general strike in four months on Thursday as workers expressed opposition to government austerity measures and reforms.

Public transport in Lisbon was hit the worst. Neither the metro nor ferries, used to cross the capital's Tagus River, were operating. Buses and suburban trains were running skeleton services.

The industrial action was also expected to affect schools, garbage collection, libraries and museums.

"[The strike] is absolutely necessary to oppose the degradation in the standard of living of the Portuguese people," said Armenio Carlos, secretary general of the country's largest trade union, CGTP.

The union called the strike in February in opposition to amendments that make it easier for employers to lay off workers as well as to reduce vacation time and public holiday bonus payments.

The country's second-largest union, UGT, had not joined the action and has backed the reforms. Thus there were doubts the 24-hour stoppages would receive widespread support.

Portugalis committed to a three-year debt-reduction program in return for a 78-billion-euro ($103 billion) financial package from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.

More than three million people took part in the last general strike in November 2011, according to the CGTP, which is traditionally influenced by the Portuguese Communist Party.

ncy/mz (AFP, dpa, Reuters)