Greeks furious at the government's austerity measures are preparing to turn out in force on the streets of Athens on the second day of a general strike.

It comes as MPs vote on intensely unpopular new measures needed to secure continued payment from an international bailout fund.

Unions plan demonstrations, with one intending to encircle parliament in an attempt to prevent MPs getting into the building for the vote. On Wednesday, riots broke out during a protest march by more than 100,000 people.

The austerity bill won initial approval with a majority vote on Wednesday, and lawmakers now vote on the details.

The measures include the suspension on reduced pay of 30,000 public servants and the suspension of collective labour contracts, and have angered even deputies from the governing Socialist party.

Creditors have demanded the measures before they give Greece more funds from a 110 billion euro package of bailout loans from other eurozone countries and the International Monetary Fund.

Greece says it will run out of money in mid-November without the eight billion euro instalment.

But Greek citizens said they are already reeling from more than one and a half years of austerity measures.

Yesterday, hundreds of youths smashed and looted stores in central Athens and clashed with riot police as the strike brought services in much of Greece to a standstill, grounding flights for hours, leaving ferries tied up in port and shutting down customs offices, stores and banks.

Masked and hooded youths pelted riot police outside parliament with petrol bombs and chunks of marble smashed from buildings, underground stops and pavements.

Police responded with tear gas and stun grenades. Authorities said 50 police were injured in the clashes, along with at least three demonstrators, while 33 people were detained for questioning or arrested for alleged involvement in the rioting. At least three journalists covering the riots were also slightly hurt.

Long after yesterday's demonstration was over, violence continued, with police fighting running street battles with youths setting up burning barricades along the back streets near Athens' main Syntagma Square and near the tourist area of Monastiraki.