Most public services in Greece ground to a halt and transport was disrupted today as unions staged a new general strike in protest at the government’s introduction of harsh austerity measures intended to keep the debt-ridden country solvent.

Dozens of masked youths clashed with police today at a union protest in Athens during a general strike against the cash-strapped Greek government’s planned pension and labour reforms.

Portugal’s public sector workers are staging a 24-hour strike today in the latest protest to hit a European country imposing a national austerity plan.