Greek unions demonstrate after new bailout agreed

Greece's two main trade union federations, GSEE and Adedy, held a protest rally on Saturday in Athens after the government won a new bailout deal from international lenders.

Reuters/John Kolesidis

They called for a change in policy to safeguard jobs and improve social services.

On Friday the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank agreed to extend the next tranche of funds under Greece's debt rescue accord package, probably in July.

Trade unionists say that the additional, tougher austerity measures are part of the package.

Social unrest has been escalating for the past several days in Greece, with tens of thousands of protesters gathered at the capital city's main Syntagma Square to protest against successive waves of spending cuts and tax rises amid a deep recession and job layoffs.

Members of the Communist-affiliated Pame union on Friday occupied the Greek finance ministry, calling for a general mobilisation against fresh austerity measures.

On Thursday government spokesperson George Petalotis was heckled and pelted with fruit and pots of yoghurt by protesters as he arrived to give a speech at an old people's home in an Athens suburb.

GSEE and Adedy have called a general strike on 15 June, the third this year against the government's economic policies, and action on 9 June at state companies under threat of privatisation.