Millions of Greeks joined a 24-hour nationwide strike against planned pension reforms yesterday, grounding flights and closing ancient monuments, schools and banks.
Police clashed with anarchists, who set fire to cars in central Athens, after thousands of protesters had marched to parliament, beating drums and chanting "the Bill is a fraud".
The conservative government wants to overhaul the social security system which experts say is destined to collapse in 15 years if left unchanged. A final parliamentary vote on a pension reform Bill takes place today.
"The participation in the strike is total. We are talking about millions," said Spyros Papaspyros, president of the civil servants' umbrella union Adedy, one of the strike organisers. "The government must not underestimate this public outrage."
About 10,000 marched in the capital and 50-60 self-proclaimed anarchists hurled a petrol bomb at police, who replied with tear gas. The anarchists dispersed but not before smashing the windows of three banks and setting fire to garbage cans and cars in central Athens, police said.
At least 150 flights could be cancelled and many more delayed after air traffic controllers walked out. Monuments and the Athens Acropolis shut early and schools, ministries and banks were closed.
Adedy and its private sector sister GSEE represent about 2.5 million members. A government official who requested anonymity said participation in the public sector was about 31 per cent.
The government, re-elected in September on pledges not to curtail pension rights, needs the backing of all its 151 deputies in the 300-seat assembly to pass the Bill.
"We will not weigh the political cost when called to come through with the pension reform we promised the Greek people," Labour Minister Fani Palli Petralia told Parliament.
Unions say Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis has not kept his word and that the planned reforms limit benefits without improving the system.
"Today we dump the bill in the landfill," GSSE vice-president Alekos Kalyvis told a rally in central Athens. "Mr Karamanlis's nose is growing like Pinocchio's. He has gone back on all that he pledged before the elections."
Unions got unexpected support from the European Central Bank (ECB), which urged the government to redraft the bill before it goes for the final vote because it may hurt the Greek central bank's independence and financial standing.
The ECB said the Bill may force the Greek central bank to fund activities normally financed by the state, in breach of EU rules. There was no immediate reaction from the government.
Protests in recent weeks have caused blackouts, left mountains of rubbish in the street, disrupted transport and services, and halted trading on financial markets for days.
The reform Bill affects mostly women, and especially working mothers. It merges scores of funds into just 13, cuts many special pensions and offers incentives to work more years.