Athens  - Flights to and from Greece were halted Wednesday as air traffic controllers were to walk off the job for three hours to join a 24-hour public sector strike to protest pension reforms and low salaries.

All flights to and from Greek airports were scheduled to be grounded from 10 am to 1 pm (0900 to 1200 GMT), forcing the cancellation or rescheduling of hundreds of flights, paralyzing air traffic across the country.

Greece's state-run Olympic Airlines said a total of 72 flights will be cancelled and four international flights to New York, Milan, Paris and Vienna rescheduled.

Aegean, a private Greek airline, said it was forced to cancel 17 flights and reschedule 23 due to the walkout.

The air traffic controllers are demanding the hiring of extra staff and improvements of their health-care benefits.

The nationwide public sector strike will also affect all state-run schools as teachers opted to stay away from their classrooms, as well as all other state services. Hospitals will be operating on emergency staff.

Greece's public-sector ADEDY union is protesting the government's recent pension reforms, which raise the retirement age and cut back benefits.

The union also opposes recent labour reforms, privatizations and tax-raising measures.

The strike follows weeks of riots across Greece in December by youths whose economic future is bleak as the country struggles with a high unemployment rate and low wages.

Unemployment is above 7 per cent, and nearly 20 per cent of Greeks live below the poverty line, earning less than 600 euros (775 dollars) a month. (dpa)