(23 Sep 2008)
1. Wide of Olympic Airlines workers holding banner and walking past airline vehicle as they march towards runway of Athens International Airport
2. Pull out of Olympic Airlines plane taking off with demonstrators marching in foreground
3. Airport control tower
4. Demonstrators running toward runway as plane flies overhead
5. Demonstrators walking past area marked with "NO ENTRY" on ground near main runway
6. Demonstrators running on northeast runway holding banner
7. Low angle shot of planes waiting to taxi as demonstrators' legs in foreground
8. Protesters sitting on ground on runway
9. SOUNDBITE: (Greek) Manolis Patetsos, President of Civil Aviation Trade Union Federation:
"The recommendation of the government breaks up and shuts down Olympic Airlines and 8,000 workers are laid off. We deem that Olympic Airlines is an national matter, it is the flag of the Greeks in the skies, and we will never, as simple workers and as citizens, accept that this company stops flying."
10. Demonstrators facing stopped planes on taxiway
11. Various of demonstrators on taxiway
12. Pan of demonstrators on taxiway chanting, some holding flares
13. Aegean Airlines plane on taxiway turning around because of demonstration, with police standing in foreground
14. Pan of demonstrators holding a big Olympic Airlines flag and chanting
15. SOUNDBITE: (Greek) Giorgos Tsoukaladakis, flight attendant:
"They are sending us home and they are doing harm to the Greek people."
16. Wide of demonstrators leaving main runway
STORYLINE:
Hundreds of protesting Olympic Airlines (OA) workers walked onto the main runway of Athens International Airport on Tuesday to protest plans to sell the troubled state-owned airline.
The employees, including pilots, air stewards, technicians and support staff, stopped planes from taking off or landing, but the airport said flights were not disrupted as planes were diverted to a second runway.
The protest lasted for about half an hour.
"The recommendation of the government breaks up and shuts down Olympic Airlines and 8,000 workers are laid off," said Manolis Patetsos, president of Civil Aviation Trade Union Federation.
"We deem that Olympic Airlines is an national matter, it is the flag of the Greeks in the skies, and we will never, as simple workers and as citizens, accept that this company will stop flying," he added.
Employees' unions have said they have no plans to strike but will carry out frequent protests.
They believe the Greek government's decision is harmful for Greece.
"They are sending us home and they are doing harm to the Greek people," said flight attendant Giorgos Tsoukaladakis, during the protest.
The government said OA has accumulated total losses of around 2.7 (b) billion euros (3.85 (b) billion US dollars).
The European Union last week approved a government plan to privatise the Greek carrier next year.
Olympic's 8,100 staff are not guaranteed jobs when the airline is sold, but about 4,600 salaried employees will be offered public sector jobs as part of a compensation package worth 1.2 (b) billion euros (1.74 (b) billion US dollars).
Tuesday's demonstration at the airport is the second such action in a week.
Last Thursday, employees blocked a taxiway near the main runway but did not disrupt flights.
Keyword aircraft aviation airport

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