Greek PM Alexis Tsipras faces backlash to proposed bailout package as civil servants’ union calls for 24-hour strike
Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras hailed the "message of democracy" his country had sent in reaching a bailout agreement with its creditors, but already it's become clear not everyone back home shares his view.
Just as he touched down in Athens to round up the votes needed to pass required reforms into law, Greece's civil servants' union called for a 24-hour strike on Wednesday when their country's parliament votes on the measures needed to receive a crucial third bailout.
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The union, Adedy, wants workers to protest the terms of the agreement Tsipras negotiated with Greece's creditors this weekend.
It has joined a rally organised by the extreme-left group Antarsya taking place in the main square before parliament this evening to voice opposition to the reforms demanded by Greece's creditors in the bailout package.
Panos Kammenos, the leader of Syriza's junior coalition partner the Independent Greeks has also condemned the agreement. The head of the right-wing party described the proposed deal as a German-led "coup".
The release of the bailout money – thought to be worth up to €86bn (£61bn) over three years – is conditional on Greek passing a number of reforms into law by Wednesday and scaling up its privatisation programme.
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Tsipras acknowledged in a statement this afternoon that the new measures will be "difficult to implement" in parliament following the Greek people's decisive rejection of austerity measures in a referendum last week.
The Syriza leader has returned to Athens to hold an emergency meeting of top officials as he looks to get parliamentary backing from party's far-left faction and opposition ministers.