By Maria Spiliopoulou
ATHENS, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Greek labor unions marked on Monday Labor Day with a 24-hour general strike and rallies requesting an end to the seven-year austerity drive imposed to address the acute debt crisis.
Approximately 10,000 strikers, according to police estimates, peacefully marched in central Athens and other big cities throughout the country participating in the demonstrations staged by GSEE and ADEDY, the two main labor unions representing most of the private and public sector employees.
"Enough is enough, life with dignity," chanted protesters who marched to the Greek parliament in Athens.
"We demand decent wages and pensions," read some of the banners they carried, as public transport services were partially disrupted by work stoppages.
"Our government honors the struggles of the working class. Despite the adverse conditions, we are trying to prove this with actions," Labor Minister Efi Achtsioglou said in her message for the day in a statement to Greek national news agency AMNA.
Minor scuffles with anti-riot police occurred briefly outside a hotel in central Athens where cabinet ministers continued negotiations with envoys of international lenders on the next set of measures which will unlock further bailout aid to the recession hit country.
