The Greek electricity workers union has decided that it will strike for 48 hours on May 18 to protest new pension reform and austerity measures, adding to the long list of planned strikes.

Genop-Dei, the employee body of energy monopoly PPC, said "we are faced with an unprecedented attack from the government which has surrendered to the pressure of markets."

The government has recently announced a raft of austerity measures such as cuts to wages and pensions, hikes in VAT and excise taxes, as well as pension reforms cutting entitlements and raising retirement ages.

The measures and reforms were a precondition to access the EUR110 billion bailout package provided by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.

"The pension reforms are a direct attack at the autonomy of our pension fund which has a assets of EUR11.9 billion," the union said.

The union added that on this basis of coming legislative intervention to their pension rights and their fund, they have "no choice by to fight strenuously for our rights."

This is the latest of a series of strikes that have been called. On Wednesday, the umbrella public sector and private sector unions called strikes for May 20 that are expected to paralyze the country.

Communist-backed PAME union is also highly likely to participate separately in the May 20 strikes and protests.

"And if the government doesn't listen and change course, more protests and strikes will follow," said the private sector umbrella union spokesman Stathis Anestis.

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