Greek public sector strike shuts central Athens

ATHENS - Central Athens was brought to a standstill on Wednesday as teachers, students and civil servants took to the streets in the latest of a series of protests over pay and funding in the country's education sector.

Greek civil servants stopped work to join a march through the Greek capital by teachers and students who have been on strike for the last six weeks to press the government for wage hikes and an increase in the education budget.

Greece's centre-right government, determined to reduce the country's fiscal gap, presented a belt-tightening 2007 draft budget to parliament earlier this month.

Police cordoned off main streets as an estimated 4000 people marched through the capital chanting: "It will not pass".

Teachers are calling for an increase in their basic monthly wage to 1400 euros ($2700) from €950. They also want more funds from the budget to go to education.

Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis met the teachers' union on Tuesday, but the government has said the budget cannot support the pay demand and has proposed an increase of €105 a month, to be delivered over two years.

The one-day strike by civil servants was the fourth called in a month by the country's public service umbrella union, known as ADEDY.

- REUTERS