The shaky coalition holding Greece’s parliament together has approved a controversial public sector reform bill that will put thousands of workers out of work, adding to the nation’s unemployment woes.

Greece’s unemployment rate is 27 percent.  But the troika - The European Union, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund – are demanding that public debt be cut to keep the bailout money coming, even though there’s absolutely no evidence that austerity is working anywhere. 

Thousands rallied against the legislation outside parliament in Athens as MPs approved it.

Under the bill, more than 4,000 state employees, including teachers and local government workers, face dismissal this year.  And up to 11,000 could lose their jobs by the end of 2014, to comply with the demands of the troika - the European Union, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund. 

The vote was the first major test for conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras's two-party coalition since losing an ally over the abrupt shutdown of the state broadcaster last month, which left it with a scant five-seat majority in the 300-seat parliament.