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Greece enters new round of bailout talks amid union unrest

A man walks alongside tractors parked at a motorway at the toll stations in Malgara village, near the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016. Greek farmers continued highway blockades as a range of other professions are on strike to protest planned pension reforms that are part of the country's third international bailout requirements(AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos) A man walks alongside tractors parked at a motorway at the toll stations in Malgara village, near the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016. Greek farmers continued highway blockades as a range of other professions are on strike to protest planned pension reforms that are part of the country's third international bailout requirements(AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

By Associated Press February 1, 2016 1 min read

ATHENS, Greece (AP) – Greece’s leftwing-led government is entering a new round of negotiations with its creditors over progress on the latest bailout program, amid angry union reactions to proposed pension reforms – a key part of the talks.

Representatives of Greece’s European creditors and the International Monetary Fund are due to meet the country’s finance minister later Monday. Greek officials say there will be a break in the talks at the end of this week, but it is unclear how long that will last.

Following pressure from bailout creditors, the government has committed to overhaul the country’s pension system, which, it admits, is otherwise moribund.

But unions representing groups as disparate as farmers, police, fishermen and lawyers fiercely oppose the draft reforms, and plan a string of protests and strikes this week.