ATHENS - Greece's foreign lenders have refused to make any further concessions on changes to labor laws contested by a junior coalition partner, the country's finance minister said on Sunday, prolonging an impasse on a crucial austerity package.
Athens has been locked in talks with its European Union and International Monetary Fund lenders on the austerity package for months, but a final agreement has been held up by the small Democratic Left party's refusal to back the new wage laws.
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The party has demanded the troika of European Commission, European Central Bank and IMF lenders allow a national wage agreement to apply to all employees rather than just unionized workers. It also wants the lenders to withdraw a plan to axe the 10 percent salary hike employees get when they marry.
"The troika has not accepted the (party's) demands," Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras told reporters.
A government official, who declined to be named, said Athens would present the bill on labour and other measures in parliament on November 5.