Greek parliament approves job cuts

Greece’s parliament has approved an emergency Bill to pave the way for thousands of public sector layoffs and free up €8.8bn in international rescue loans.

The Bill, which passed in a 168-123 vote, will allow for the first civil service layoffs in more than a century. About 2,000 civil servants will be laid off by the end of May, with another 2,000 following by the end of the year and a further 11,500 by the end of 2014, for a total of 15,500.