Greek Public Workers Protest Layoff Plans

Cutbacks needed to secure bailouts

Thousands of Greek municipal workers and state school teachers took to the streets of Athens on Monday to protest against the public sector layoffs that the government has promised its international lenders in exchange for bailout funds.

Eurozone finance ministers were due to decide on Monday how to keep Greece afloat and had threatened to delay the latest €8.1bn (£6.97bn) payment to Athens to put more pressure on it to enact unpopular reforms.

Earlier, Greece's debt inspectors reached an agreement with the cash-strapped country on reforms needed for the release of the next batch of its vital bailout loans, although they warned of an "uncertain" economic outlook.