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An Easter strike by fuel tanker drivers has been ruled out by the Unite union.
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The Greek PM has warned the nation of a collapse in living standards if MPs fail to pass an unpopular austerity bill demanded in return for a 130bn-euro ($170bn; �110bn) bailout.
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It is to join conciliation talks and says there may still be a strike after Easter if those fail.
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In a TV address, Lucas Papademos said Greece was "just a breath away from Ground Zero".
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Government advice to drivers to top up tanks has been blamed by retailers for causing "panic buying". Demand for petrol rose 172% on Thursday, and diesel 77%, said independent experts.
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The cabinet has approved the measures but five government ministers resigned.
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In York, a woman suffered 40% burns on Thursday when petrol ignited as she was decanting it in her kitchen.
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Unions are holding a 48-hour strike, and thousands of protesters rallied in central Athens against the measures.
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The union announced on Friday morning that there would be no strike over Easter.
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Riot police were on standby after clashes on Friday, but the demonstrations were mostly peaceful.
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In a statement, assistant general secretary Diana Holland said: "We do still retain the right to call strike action for after Easter should those talks break down."
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The austerity measures are being demanded by the eurozone and IMF - they must now be passed by the Greek parliament and approved by European finance ministers.
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Some 90% of UK forecourts are supplied by the Unite union's 2,000 or so members at the centre of the dispute.
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Some MPs from the governing parties are expected to vote against the bill, the BBC's Mark Lowen in Athens reports.
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Unite's drivers, who deliver fuel to Shell and Esso garages and supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsbury's, have called for minimum working conditions covering pay, hours, holiday and redundancy.
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But analysts say the package should still have enough support in parliament, because Pasok, the largest party, and its coalition ally New Democracy account for more than 230 deputies out of a total of 300.
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Catastrophe fear
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Conciliation service Acas says it hopes talks between employers and unions will take place shortly after Monday.
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Mr Papademos said the measures would "decide the country's future" and enable it to stay inside the euro.
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Contingency plans
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Queues formed at many petrol stations across the country on Thursday as demand for fuel rose.
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Continue reading the main story
Continue reading the main story
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�Start Quote
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What went wrong in Greece?
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An old drachma note and a euro note
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    Greece's economic reforms, which led to it abandoning the drachma as its currency in favour of the euro in 2002, made it easier for the country to borrow money.
 +
 
 +
The opening ceremony at the Athens Olympics
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    Greece went on a big, debt-funded spending spree, including paying for high-profile projects such as the 2004 Athens Olympics, which went well over its budget.
 +
 
 +
A defunct restaurant for sale in central Athens
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    The country was hit by the downturn, which meant it had to spend more on benefits and received less in taxes. There were also doubts about the accuracy of its economic statistics.
 +
 
 +
A man with a bag of coins walks past the headquarters of the Bank of Greece
 +
    Greece's economic problems meant lenders started charging higher interest rates to lend it money. Widespread tax evasion also hit the government's coffers.
 +
 
 +
Workers in a rally led by the PAME union in Athens on 22 April 2010
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    There have been demonstrations against the government's austerity measures to deal with its debt, such as cuts to public sector pay and pensions, reduced benefits and increased taxes.
 +
 
 +
Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou at an EU summit in Brussels on 26 March 2010
 +
    The EU, IMF and European Central Bank agreed 229bn euros ($300bn; �190bn) of rescue loans for Greece. Prime Minister George Papandreou quit in November 2011 after trying to call a referendum.
 +
 
 +
Greece's problems have made investors nervous, which has made it more expensive for other European countries such as Portugal to borrow money.
 +
    Eurozone leaders are worried that if Greece were to default, and even leave the euro, it would cause a major financial crisis that could spread to much bigger economies such as Italy and Spain.
 +
 
 +
Lucas Papademos
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    Under Prime Minister Lucas Papademos, Greece is trying to negotiate a big write-off of private debts and secure a second bail-out of 130bn euros ($170bn, �80bn) before a 20 March deadline.
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BACK 1 of 8 NEXT
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"The social cost of this programme is limited in comparison with the economic and social catastrophe that would follow if we didn't adopt it," he said.
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Savings would be lost, the government would be unable to pay wages or salaries, and imports of fuel, medicine and machinery would be disrupted, he added.
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Earlier, Greek conservative leader Antonis Samaras said all his party's MPs must vote in favour of the bailout law.
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Mr Samaras, whose New Democracy party is a member of the governing coalition, said any rebels would face being dropped as parliamentary candidates.
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Deputy Foreign Minister Mariliza Xenogiannakopoulou, who quit on Friday afternoon, is the most senior defection so far.
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    It is for the employers and unions to resolve their issues by getting around the negotiating table and talking�
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Her Pasok party, the largest in the coalition, also suffered the loss of a deputy labour minister on Thursday.
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DECC spokeswoman
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The austerity cuts include:
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Some garages ran dry but retailers said they were coping and normal deliveries would ensure supplies were replenished.
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    * 15,000 public-sector job cuts
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    * liberalisation of labour laws
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    * lowering the minimum wage by 20% from 751 euros a month to 600 euros
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    * negotiating a debt write-off with banks.
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Anticipating a strike they describe as "completely wrong", ministers have called for motorists to keep their cars "topped up" but urged people not to queue.
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These were presented to a eurozone ministers in Brussels on Thursday evening.
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On Thursday, Energy Secretary Ed Davey advised that people "just need to do the sensible thing... get a full tank of petrol, not a half-tank".
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But they want a further 325m euros in savings for this year and also insist that Greek leaders give "strong political assurances" on the implementation of the packages.

Current revision as of 12:31, 16 January 2013

The Greek PM has warned the nation of a collapse in living standards if MPs fail to pass an unpopular austerity bill demanded in return for a 130bn-euro ($170bn; �110bn) bailout.

In a TV address, Lucas Papademos said Greece was "just a breath away from Ground Zero".

The cabinet has approved the measures but five government ministers resigned.

Unions are holding a 48-hour strike, and thousands of protesters rallied in central Athens against the measures.

Riot police were on standby after clashes on Friday, but the demonstrations were mostly peaceful.

The austerity measures are being demanded by the eurozone and IMF - they must now be passed by the Greek parliament and approved by European finance ministers.

Some MPs from the governing parties are expected to vote against the bill, the BBC's Mark Lowen in Athens reports.

But analysts say the package should still have enough support in parliament, because Pasok, the largest party, and its coalition ally New Democracy account for more than 230 deputies out of a total of 300. Catastrophe fear

Mr Papademos said the measures would "decide the country's future" and enable it to stay inside the euro. Continue reading the main story What went wrong in Greece?

An old drachma note and a euro note 

   Greece's economic reforms, which led to it abandoning the drachma as its currency in favour of the euro in 2002, made it easier for the country to borrow money.

The opening ceremony at the Athens Olympics 

   Greece went on a big, debt-funded spending spree, including paying for high-profile projects such as the 2004 Athens Olympics, which went well over its budget.

A defunct restaurant for sale in central Athens 

   The country was hit by the downturn, which meant it had to spend more on benefits and received less in taxes. There were also doubts about the accuracy of its economic statistics.

A man with a bag of coins walks past the headquarters of the Bank of Greece 

   Greece's economic problems meant lenders started charging higher interest rates to lend it money. Widespread tax evasion also hit the government's coffers.

Workers in a rally led by the PAME union in Athens on 22 April 2010 

   There have been demonstrations against the government's austerity measures to deal with its debt, such as cuts to public sector pay and pensions, reduced benefits and increased taxes.

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou at an EU summit in Brussels on 26 March 2010 

   The EU, IMF and European Central Bank agreed 229bn euros ($300bn; �190bn) of rescue loans for Greece. Prime Minister George Papandreou quit in November 2011 after trying to call a referendum.

Greece's problems have made investors nervous, which has made it more expensive for other European countries such as Portugal to borrow money. 

   Eurozone leaders are worried that if Greece were to default, and even leave the euro, it would cause a major financial crisis that could spread to much bigger economies such as Italy and Spain.

Lucas Papademos 

   Under Prime Minister Lucas Papademos, Greece is trying to negotiate a big write-off of private debts and secure a second bail-out of 130bn euros ($170bn, �80bn) before a 20 March deadline.

BACK 1 of 8 NEXT

"The social cost of this programme is limited in comparison with the economic and social catastrophe that would follow if we didn't adopt it," he said.

Savings would be lost, the government would be unable to pay wages or salaries, and imports of fuel, medicine and machinery would be disrupted, he added.

Earlier, Greek conservative leader Antonis Samaras said all his party's MPs must vote in favour of the bailout law.

Mr Samaras, whose New Democracy party is a member of the governing coalition, said any rebels would face being dropped as parliamentary candidates.

Deputy Foreign Minister Mariliza Xenogiannakopoulou, who quit on Friday afternoon, is the most senior defection so far.

Her Pasok party, the largest in the coalition, also suffered the loss of a deputy labour minister on Thursday.

The austerity cuts include: 

   * 15,000 public-sector job cuts
   * liberalisation of labour laws
   * lowering the minimum wage by 20% from 751 euros a month to 600 euros
   * negotiating a debt write-off with banks.

These were presented to a eurozone ministers in Brussels on Thursday evening.

But they want a further 325m euros in savings for this year and also insist that Greek leaders give "strong political assurances" on the implementation of the packages.

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