Greek unions will stage their second nationwide strike in a week on Thursday, shutting down all public services, closing schools, customs and tax offices, halting public transport and grounding flights for 24 hours.

Unions are protesting the Socialist government's measures, designed to curb the country's massive debt and pull it out of an unprecedented financial crisis. The measures have cut civil servants' salaries, frozen pensions and increased taxes, including on fuel and general sales tax.

"They are trying to make workers pay the price for this crisis," said Yiannis Panagopoulos, leader of Greece's largest union, the GSEE. "These measures will not be effective and will throw the economy into deep freeze."

Workers are to walk off the job from midnight Wednesday night.

Journalists, teachers, state hospital doctors and air traffic controllers will be among those striking, while officers from the police, fire service and coast guard plan to join protest rallies.