General strike paralyses Greek public services

Flights to and from Greece were grounded, trains and ferries suspended their routes and public services were paralysed today as angry workers went on strike in protest over huge spending cuts.

The 24-hour general strike shut down schools and customs offices and left hospitals working with emergency medical staff.

The Acropolis and all other ancient sites were closed, while journalists also walked off the job, suspending television and radio news broadcasts.

Two protest marches are planned for central Athens - the first major demonstrations since the new measures - aimed at saving the country from bankruptcy - were announced on Sunday. More than 1,500 police are being deployed to monitor them.

Public and private sector unions concede that the cash-strapped government was forced to slash spending, including cutting salaries and pensions for civil servants, and increase consumer taxes, to secure a vital €110bn three-year loan package from European partners and the International Monetary Fund.

However, they say low-income Greeks will suffer disproportionately from the measures, which aim to save €30bn - the country's current budget deficit - through until 2012.

Almost every big protest this year has been marred by violent clashes between protesters and police. Two months ago, rioters chased ceremonial guards away from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier outside parliament.

Discontent has intensified as civil servants and pensioners face deep income cuts and consumer taxes have been increased again.

Despite the strike, the draft bill of the new austerity measures is to be discussed at committee level in parliament today, and will be voted on tomorrow.

Prime minister George Papandreou's Socialists hold a comfortable majority of 160 in the 300-seat Parliament, and with a simple majority of 151 votes needed, the bill is expected to be passed easily.

Main opposition leader Antonis Samaras said his conservative New Democracy party would vote against the bill because it disagrees with the government's handling of the crisis.

Mr Papandreou had been hoping to bring opposition leaders on board, insisting that the measures are essential if the country is to survive.

However, opposition parties have harshly criticised his handling of the crisis, and Mr Samaras's move to vote against the legislation is more a symbolic gesture.

"In any case, the government does not need our vote to have the law approved," he acknowledged, adding that his party would respect the Socialists' commitments to the EU and IMF if elected to power.