AlHijjah 28, 1432, Nov 24, 2011, SPA -- A general strike against the government's spending cuts on Thursday attracted a wide following in Portugal, dpa cited media reports as saying. Public transport suffered widespread interruptions, while garbage collecting and postal services came practically to a halt. The strike was expected to have a strong impact on air traffic, with the Portuguese airline TAP cancelling 121 of its 140 flights scheduled for Thursday. The 24-hour strike was called jointly by the country's two biggest trade union confederations. It protested against the austerity policies of conservative Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho, who is trying to meet the conditions agreed with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. The two institutions have granted Portugal a bailout worth 78 billion euros (110 billion dollars).
