Greek protesters get in scrap with police

ATHENS, Greece, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- Greek protesters clashed with police Friday at the beginning of a 48-hour strike against the country's new austerity programs.

Protesters threw stones at police, who retaliated with tear gas, the BBC reported.

Minor injuries were reported on both sides of the scuffle.

The 48-hour national walkout was called after the government Thursday reached a conditional deal with the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund on terms of a new loan program, The New York Times reported.

The deal calls for Prime Minister Lucas Papademos' government to cut private-sector wages by at least 20 percent, furlough thousands of public employees and reduce public spending. Creditors also demanded more cuts to cover a $430 million shortfall created when Greece's political leaders refused to reduce supplemental pensions, as well as parliamentary approval and written commitments to the terms of the agreement from leaders of Papademos' three-party coalition before more funding is released.

Parliament is expected to vote on the package Sunday or Monday. Leaders of the country's largest public- and private-sector unions said protests were planned for both days of the strike, as well as the day of the vote.

Both deals must be completed soon to ensure funding will be released so Greece can pay a $19 billion bond that matures March 20 and avoid default.

Most public transportation services were suspended during the 48-hour walkout, although air travel operated normally, the Times said. Ferry and train service was suspended and an urban rail service operated on a limited schedule. Government offices, schools and courts were close and hospitals were open with emergency staffs.

The strike will be accompanied by three days of demonstrations, Ekathimerini reported.

From Brussels, Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos appealed to his countrymen to rally behind the measures.

"If we see the future of our country within the eurozone, within Europe, we should do what we have to do for the program to be approved and for the [private sector involvement] to be concluded on time before major bonds expire in March," Venizelos said, referring to negotiations on private-sector involvement in a bailout that includes a write-off of about $130 billion of the country's debt.

Greece's government statistics agency said the country's industrial output fell 11.3 percent in December from a year earlier and unemployment soared in November to an all-time high of 20.9 percent, up from October's 18.2 percent.