Greece braces for first general strike of 2013 against austerity

Greek workers are launching on Wednesday the first general strike of 2013 to renew their protest over the government-prescribed austerity measures.

The strike came ahead of a return of auditors of international creditors to Athens next week to discuss the next painful steps in efforts to tackle the Greek debt crisis.

The 24-hour nationwide mobilization is organized by the two main umbrella trade unions of public and private sector employees to protest the latest round of pay and pension cuts, tax increases and the planned dismissals of thousands civil servants in the coming months.

Demonstrators shout slogans and hold banners in front of the House of Parliament in central Athens, Greece, Feb. 20, 2013. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

European Union and International Monetary Fund creditors, who have been keeping debt-wrecked Greece afloat with multi-billion bailout aid packages since 2010, are pushing for more progress before the disbursement of the next loan tranche to Athens in coming weeks.

Thousands of protesters walked off their jobs on Wednesday, marching to the streets of central Athens. The workers claimed that the policies implemented over the past three years have came to a dead-end, fuelling deep recession and impoverishing Greek society.

Demonstrators clash with riot police in central Athens, Feb. 20, 2013. A 24-hour general strike was organized by the two largest confederations of private sector workers (G.S.E.E.) and public sector employees (A.D.E.D.Y.) against the harsh and ineffective austerity measures, the sharp rise of unemployment and the government's plans to limit the labor unions' right to strike. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

"We will struggle to the end," read banners raised by strikers outside the parliament building, as schools and state offices were shut down, hospitals ran on emergency personnel and public transport services were partially disrupted.