Greek unions warn of more strikes, protests in June

The Socialist government says the draft pension reform bill is aimed at saving the social security system from bankruptcy. It raises the retirement age and discourages workers from taking their pension early.

The private and public sector unions which represent about 2.5 million workers, around half of the Greek workforce, have already called a one-day general strike for May 20, the first since three people died in a petrol bomb attack during a march by 50,000 protesters this month.

"We are calling workers, pensioners, young people, who expect the government policies to change, to join Thursday's strike, which will not be the last one," said Ilias Iliopoulos, public sector union's ADEDY General Secretary.

"The government hasn't realised yet the size of the explosion."

Parliament is expected to vote on the pension reform bill, drawn up after consultations with the EU and the IMF, early in June. The government has a comfortable parliamentary majority.

Unions are to meet after the strike on Thursday and decide on further labour action.

"If the pension bill is left unchanged, we will certainly protest in June. And if the government takes more harmful measures the summer will also be a period of labour action," Iliopoulos said.

Despite the growing size of the protests, opinion polls show that most Greeks agree the austerity measures are necessary, but are angry because they believe the burden is being unfairly shouldered by the general population while the rich evade taxes.

Political analysts and pollsters have said that once this week's strike is over, the government could face a three-to-four month period of relative calm as Athenians flee the intense heat of the capital for the breeze and beaches of nearby islands.

(Reporting by Renee Maltezou, editing by Ralph Boulton)