Greek’s two largest unions have launched a 24-hour general strike to protest new austerity measures aimed at slashing salaries by 20 to 30 percent. On Monday the Greek government announced it would cut 15,000 state jobs.

Stathis Anestis, deputy secretary-general of the private sector GSEE union: “The way they are proceeding is blackmail and unacceptable. They are demanding that the entire framework of the labor agreement be canceled, which has existed here and in the whole of Europe for the last 100 years.”