ATHENS - Greek riot police have removed strikers from a landfill site northwest of Athens to allow access for private contractors brought in to clear the capital's streets of garbage.
Municipal employees had been occupying the landfill and refusing to collect garbage for two weeks as part of a strike against government austerity measures as debt-laden Greece tries to keep afloat. The private firms were brought in late Friday.
Municipal employees complained that police used rough tactics against the few strikers guarding the landfill early Sunday, and have vowed to stop the operations of the private contractors.
The government faces a wave of strikes next week, including a general strike on Wednesday and Thursday, ahead of a crucial Thursday vote on a new austerity package.
