Greece's trade unions have called a 48-hour general strike for next week to protest government plans to pass new austerity measures including spending cuts, tax increase and state-asset sales.
"The government insists on the same dead-end economic policy that has driven workers and society into poverty," said a statement from ADEDY, the country's biggest public-sector union.
The general strike – to be held on June 28th and 29th – will be the fourth called this year by ADEDY and the General Confederation of Labor, or GSEE, which represents private-sector workers.
The strike coincides with a scheduled parliamentary debate on the government's plans to pass new austerity measures as part of its five-year fiscal program of budget cuts worth €78 billion.
The Greek finance ministry said the bill must be voted on by June 30th.
European finance ministers and the International Monetary Fund said they would hold back a €12 billion payment due in July until the plan is passed.