On Tuesday, hundreds of thousands of Greek workers began a 48-hour strike over new austerity measures. The Parliament will vote on Wednesday on wage and pension cuts that have been demanded by international lenders in return for help with Greece?s debt. The strike has stopped public transportation and closed schools, banks and offices. The strike marks the third major protest in two months, all aimed at the changes to work rules and spending cuts. The government says that the cuts are necessary for the loan, which will help the economy, but workers say that the government is going too far.
See "Greeks Strike Over Spending Cuts Before Crucial Vote", Reuters, The New York Times, November 5, 2012