Greeks strike against austerity as EU, IMF visit
(Reuters) - Striking Greek workers brought the Athens metro to a standstill on Tuesday and kept ferries docked to protest against austerity as the country's lenders visited Athens to try to avert a disorderly debt default.
EU, IMF and ECB officials start combing through Athens' books on Tuesday as part of efforts to put together a 130-billion-euro (108 billion pound) rescue package that Greece needs to stay afloat when a major bond redemption comes due in late March.
Greeks have been hit hard by tax hikes and wage cuts meant to put the Mediterranean nation's finances back on track with a first bailout agreed in 2010. Greece has entered its fifth consecutive year of austerity-fuelled recession, with unemployment reaching a record high of 17.7 percent.
No ferries left from Athens' main ports on Tuesday, buses will only work part of the day, bank employees are also expected to walk off the job and labour unions will stage rallies to coincide with the start of the EU/IMF visit.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/01/17/uk-greece-idUKTRE80G0H020120117 Tue Jan 17, 2012 8:41am GMT
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