Civil servants block doors over austerity package

BERLIN / BRUSSELS - Greek civil servants blocked the doors of government ministries on Thursday in protest against austerity ahead of the start of talks with the European Union (EU) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the delivery of an aid tranche Athens needs to avoid running out of cash next month.

A "troika" of EU, European Central Bank (ECB) and IMF inspectors has returned to Greece after quitting the country unexpectedly on Sept 2, accusing it of not taking strong enough measures to deserve a bailout.

Without new funds, Greece could run out of cash to pay state wage and pension bills as soon as next month. A Greek default on debt repayments could wreck the balance sheets of banks across Europe and unleash a crisis in the global financial system.