In Greece, the state workers on Thursday called a strike to protest government plans to privatize their jobs as part of an international bailout agreement. The work stoppage has been called for the same day Prime Minister George Papandreou and his cabinet are set to meet to approve new austerity measures. The European Union and International Monetary Fund approved a 158 billion dollar bailout loan for Greece last year, but demanded austerity measures in return. EU and IMF experts have been reviewing the country's progress on debt-cutting before approving the next planned 17 billion dollar payment of the bailout package.