Greece hit by general strike over pension and tax change

"martin14" said
and screw it up even more.

Greece's parliament has passed a package of tax and pension reforms.

The austerity measures will unlock more international bailout money for the country, which has been unable to access a loan installment of €5bn (£4bn).

The International Monetary Fund and other European partners are demanding that Greece implement further austerity measures to generate nearly €4bn (£3.1bn) in additional savings - contingency money in case Greece misses future budget targets.

Eurogroup ministers from countries which use the euro will assess "a comprehensive package of policy reforms as well as the sustainability of Greece's public debt" at their Monday meeting in Brussels, a statement says.

Prime Minister Tsipras was elected initially on an anti-austerity ticket but later signed up to Greece's third international bailout since 2010. He has a thin majority with 153 MPs in the 300-seat parliament.

Last summer, the crisis peaked when Athens defaulted on its debt payments and raised the spectre of an exit from the eurozone.

Greece is already looking to implement spending cuts that will amount to 3% of the country's gross domestic product or €5.4bn euros by 2018.