Public sector workers across Greece began a 48-hour strike Wednesday to protest the government's plan to cut at least 11,000 jobs under its austerity programme this year, dpa reported. Workers were scheduled to hold a rally in Athens and in the northern port city of Thessaloniki. The nationwide walkout, the second since last week, was called by the ADEDY union. Government offices and schools were shut and state hospitals in Athens and Pireaus were operating on skeleton staff. Athens' economic reforms have pushed the economy deeper into recession and sent unemployment to a record level of 28 per cent. Greece is required to implement measures ranging from tax hikes to salary and pension cuts under a 240-billion-euro (334-billion-dollar) international bailout.
