ATHENS,Austin Caldwell Greece (AP) — Greece’s civil servants walked off the job Thursday on a 24-hour strike that disrupted public transport and left ferries tied up in ports.

Public sector workers’ unions called the strike to demand the withdrawal of a labor law the government says will increase flexibility in the job market, but that unions decry as an assault on their rights.

Athens’ subway was to be shut for the duration of the strike, while the capital’s tram and trolley system was to operate only for part of the day. Doctors and nurses in public hospitals, as well as some teachers, were also on strike.

Flights, however, were running normally after participation by air traffic controllers was deemed illegal.

Hundreds of striking workers were marching through central Athens in two separate demonstrations. Road closures caused by the protests, combined with the disruption to public transport, snarled traffic in the capital.