Athens is in shut down mood. The capital is preparing for a general strike with the members of the EU, IMF and European Central Bank – collectively known as the ,“troika” in town.<br /><br />They have been jeered by workers after a first round of meetings to check on the governments progress in implementing austerity-driven reforms.<br /><br />Students at the Polytechnic University of Athens have already felt the effects of a strike. The college is shut after administrative workers walked out over planned suspensions.<br /><br />The move is the latest in the government efforts to slash the costs in the public sector to meet the terms of the bail out. Twelve and a half thousand civil servants have to be suspended on reduced pay. Students have been left helpless and without classes.<br /><br />“I am in danger of never graduating if these measures are implemented. I won’t be able to continue my studies. If the lay-offs are brought in and we’ll have to pay tuition fees I won’t be able to continue my studies. The difficulties are already many the way things are now anyway,” said Danae Karydi an engineering student. <br /><br />The University is just one of several educational establishments to be hit by a strike since the start of the new school year in September.<br /><br />Lenders believe Greece will miss its targets by about 2 billion euros. The government expects the gap to be much smaller.
