General strike in Greece punctuated by clashes

ATHENS (Reuters) - The Greeks Thursday observed a day of general strike against the austerity imposed by international lenders in the country, which was glazed in Athens clashes between protesters and security forces. For the second time in three weeks, about 40,000 strikers marched in Athens. It was to show EU leaders summit in Brussels that further cuts in wages and pensions will only aggravate their fate after five years of recession. Clashes erupted when demonstrators threw petrol bombs and chunks of marble font on Syntagma Square in front of Parliament. The police used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators. One protester died aged 65 of a heart attack, it was learned from the hospital. Three other people were injured. Fifty demonstrators suspected of having attacked police were arrested. Five separate events were planned throughout the day. Metal barriers were installed instead Phrase and nearly 4,000 police officers mobilized. Most public services and private sector companies had ceased their activity for this 24-hour strike at the call of the country's two main unions, the public sector ADEDY and GSEE for the private sector. "Enough. They dug our graves, we pushed in and is waiting for the priest to pronounce the last rites," said Konstantinos Balomenos, 58, an employee in a treatment plant wastewater. His salary was cut in half, to 900 euros, and he has two unemployed son. "This encourages austerity across Europe South to rebel, the euro will be destroyed., We are asked to pay for what our politicians have hijacked." "DECLINE AT LEAST ONCE" Athens, which will run out of cash next month, awaiting the release of a tranche of 31.5 billion euros as part of its bailout of 130 billion. But to do this, Greece needs to show the "troika" consisting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the European Commission (EC) and the European Central Bank (ECB) that it is well on the path of reforms promised with an austerity plan of 11.5 billion euros and a program of reforms in all directions. After several months of often difficult negotiations, Greece and the "troika" were close to an agreement Wednesday on key austerity measures and reforms implemented by Athens for new funds and avoid bankruptcy . "The government should refuse if only once absurd demands of the troika," said Yannis Panagopoulos, general secretary of the union GSEE. "To agree to measures catastrophic, is driving the company's desperation. Consequences and manifestations are endless," said he. IDLE The majority of the country idled Thursday. Boats remained docked, public transport in the capital have been severely disrupted and hospitals ensured a minimum service. Utilities, ministries and many businesses remained closed doors. Newsstand owners, lawyers, taxi drivers and air traffic controllers should join the protests against the drastic reduction in social spending and health. Polls show a growing anger of the people against the Greek bailout. "The new agreement, painful, should not be approved," said the union ADEDY. "The new requirements will squander what remains of our social rights, our rights to our pension and labor law," says a statement.