Greece braced for more strikes

Greeks were again bracing themselves for further strikes against more proposed austerity measures, which must win lawmakers' support if the debt-crippled country is to get more aid and stave off bankruptcy.

State hospital doctors, taxi drivers, Athens transport workers and journalists walked off the job on Monday, ahead of the two-day general strike on Tuesday and Wednesday that will shut down all public services and most forms of transport.

On Monday night, security guard Antonis Kaloskamis attended a meeting called by public sector union ADEDY, as union leaders put the final touches to plans for Tuesday's strike and demonstration.

37 year old father of two Kaloskamis, like many in Greece, is worried about the bleak outlook for him and his family if yet another round of austerity measures is voted in.

If they are, he says, there will be further public displays of anger.

"What we demand through our activism is that eligible deputies won't dare to vote 'yes' on these measures. If they do, as I look you in the eyes and with full awareness of what I am saying, there will be extreme forms of social explosion."

The drastic spending cuts and tax rises, demanded by the country's bailout creditors, aim to save some 13.5 (b) billion euros (17.3 (b) billion US dollars) in 2013-14.

The latest measures, due to be voted on in parliament on Wednesday, include a two-year increase in the retirement age, from the current average of 65, salary and pension cuts, and another round of tax increases, including raising taxes for the interest on bank deposits from 10 to 15 percent.

If lawmakers reject them, Greece faces the prospect of losing vital rescue loans that have kept it afloat since May 2010.

The head of the umbrella public sector union, ADEDY, Kostas Tsikrikas, called on lawmakers not to pass the measures even at the risk of Greece being thrown out of the eurozone.

"We believe the voice of workers will have an impact on them (lawmakers). And if it doesn't influence them today and they go ahead with the vote on these measures, our struggle will continue. Because the measures will not be implemented because of a vote. There will be an implementation period, and we aim to continue our struggle, and as I said this will be on a European scale."