Metro workers in Athens refused to go to work on Thursday, even as hospitals had to operate with only emergency staff, as transport workers and doctors protested a new round of austeritymeasures which foresees more pay cuts, dpa reported. Tens of thousands of commuters were prevented from using the Athens Metro after workers launched the strike, saying they objected to a unified pay structure the government was planning for civil servants, which would result in the abolition of their collective labour agreement.The strike caused massive traffic jams in the Greek capital after workers reverted to using their cars to commute to work.Meanwhile, only emergency cases were being treated at public hospitals across the country after doctors were joined by privatesector dentists in a strike over the poor state of the public health care system.