Greek labour unions launch strike to protest austerity

Feb 10, 2012, 7:43 GMT

Athens - Angry Greek labour unions launched a 48-hour nationwide strike and demonstrations Friday in protest at painful austerity measures which the government agreed with international lenders this week.

The strike by public and private sector workers was expected to paralyse public transport and force ferries to remain moored.

Government offices, schools, courtrooms, museums and archaeological sites were also to remain closed while hospitals would be operating with emergency staff.

Unions are protesting a range of austerity reforms, including a 22-per-cent cut in the monthly wage, public sector pay freezes and layoffs, tax and labour market reforms as well as privatizations.

The demonstrations were expected to continue until Sunday, when parliament is to vote on the terms of the loan agreement.

Athens has been under pressure to carry out the reforms, to be eligible for a 130-billion-euro (173-billion-dollar) bailout from other eurozone countries and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

But international lenders refused Thursday to agree to a second bailout for Greece, indicating that they would wait until next week for Athens to give guarantees on the austerity measures and economic reforms it was offering in return.

Greece's aid package needs to be signed off by the end of next week if it is to be ready in time by March 20, when Athens faces a 14.5-billion-euro bond repayment.