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2012-11-06 10:20:53
Greece is braced for a 48-hour general strike across public and private sectors
in protest at a proposed new wave of spending cuts.
Protest marches - which regularly end in running battles with police - are
planned for the centre of Athens.
The action coincides with a debate in parliament on the austerity measures,
with a vote by MPs due on Wednesday.
Greece must back the measures, and the 2013 budget, to receive the next part of
a bailout and avoid bankruptcy.
The latest strike starting on Tuesday includes public transport workers,
lawyers, air traffic controllers, taxi drivers, journalists and hospital staff.
Some transport and media workers downed tools on Monday as well.
Measures in austerity package
Retirement age up from 65 to 67
A further round of pension cuts, of 5-15%
Salary cuts, notably for policemen, soldiers, firemen, professors, judges,
justice officials; minimum wage also reduced
Holiday benefits cut
35% cut to severance pay
Redundancy notice reduced from 6 to 4 months
The BBC's Mark Lowen in Athens says that with proposals for a fifth consecutive
cut to pensions, an increase in the retirement age and reductions to salaries,
benefits and healthcare, the fury among Greece's population is growing.
Greek ministers say the package should save a total of 13.5bn euros ( 11bn;
$17bn) by 2016.
Approving the tough reforms and passing the 2013 budget are key to receiving a
31.5bn-euro instalment from the International Monetary Fund and European Union
that has been on hold for months.
However, the Democratic Left Party which is the junior member of the
three-party governing coalition, is refusing to back the package.
The second biggest coalition party, the socialist Pasok, is also facing a
rebellion by some MPs.
Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has tried to reassure the public, who have
endured repeated rounds of austerity and a five-year recession.
"These will be the last cuts in wages and pensions," he said on Sunday.
"We promised to avert the country's exit from the euro and this is what we are
doing. We have given absolute priority to this because if we do not achieve
this everything else will be meaningless."