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Greek strikers hit Athens streets over austerity plan

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  • Greek strikers hit Athens streets over austerity plan

    Greek public sector workers have stormed the Acropolis and scuffled with riot police after launching a 48-hour strike against austerity measures.

    Their action comes ahead of a nationwide general strike on Wednesday.

    The austerity measures were outlined in a draft bill submitted to the Greek parliament and will be voted on by the end of the week.

    They have been introduced in return for a 110bn euro (£95bn) international rescue package agreed for the country.

    The measures include wage freezes, pension cuts and tax rises.


    They aim to achieve fresh budget cuts of 30bn euros over three years, with the goal of cutting Greece's public deficit to less than 3% of GDP by 2014. It currently stands at 13.6%.

    Union leaders say the cuts target low-income Greeks.

    "There are other things the [government] can do, before taking money from a pensioner who earns 500 euros (£430) a month," Spyros Papaspyros, leader of the public servants' union ADEDY, told Greek private television.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8658973.stm
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