Athens hit by anti-austerity protests

Thousands of local government employees rally in Athens as part of a nation-wide two-day anti-austerity protest.

The workers are protesting wage cuts and reductions in funding to local authorities.

One small-town mayor says cutbacks have seriously affected basic services, and that the most vulnerable were being hit particularly hard.

Elsewhere, hotel staff marched to the Labour ministry, angry at wage and job cuts.

Unions representing the disabled joined the protests as well, calling for a stop to benefit cuts to their members.

Hospital workers, teachers and military personnel are due to hold their own protests later in the day.

Officials in Athens are continuing talks to nail down nearly 12 billion euros of budget cuts in the next two years.

The measures are part of the conditions needed to unlock the EU and IMF aid packages the country needs in order to avoid bankruptcy.