Greece is in the grip of a general strike as unions protest further austerity measures planned for the new year.<br /><br />Air and maritime transport suffered serious disruption with schools, hospitals and banks also affected.<br /><br />Morale among Greeks citizens is close to rock bottom: “The strike is a minor thing. Something very significant must happen because we’ve reached the point of being on the verge of jumping out of windows,” said one Athens businessman.<br /><br />As Greece grinds to halt in Paris, talks between Greek authorities and the EU/IMF stalled.<br /><br />The budget set by the Greek government failed to win the support of the Trokia of international money lenders. <br /><br />The continued demands for more austerity come despite Greece exiting a six-year recession and the government’s desire to end the bailout. <br /><br />Unions described the austerity demands as a “dogmatic obsession”. <br /><br />Unemployment in the country is running at 26 percent with 50 percent youth unemployment a particular concern.
