ATHENS, Greece, March 19 (UPI) -- Unions in Greece conducted a general strike Wednesday to send a message to the government, which votes on a critical pension reform bill Thursday.

Thousands were expected to take part in the 24-hour general strike, the BBC reported.

Strikes are already rife in the country with garbage collection halted for the past two weeks and public transportation halted on Tuesday, the report said.

The government expects to vote Thursday on reforms that would consolidate 100 social security and pension funds. It is also considering raising the legal retirement age, which is currently at 65 years for men and 60 for woman.

The reform measure "harms all categories of workers," Yiannis Panagopoo, a labor union leader said. "And of course it dramatically reduces pensions for everyone."

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis has warned that Greece's debt-ridden pension system could collapse if the reforms are not passed.