Greeks woke up to a new blackout on Monday, as unions representing journalists and technicians at local media are on a 24-hour strike in protest of austerity.

Journalists marched in the center of Athens chanting anti-austerity slogans, while all television and radio news programs were canceled and dailies shut down.

Protesters strongly denounced the wage cuts and layoffs of the past two years and the fresh austerity policies under discussion.

Debt-laden Greece needs to finalize a new package of cuts on salaries, wages, tax hikes and reforms of 11.5 billion euros (14.85 billion U.S. dollars) by the upcoming weekend to secure further international aid to avoid a default and potential exit from the euro zone.

The prospect has fuelled the frustration of low and middle class Greeks who suffer since the Greek debt crisis broke out in late 2009 and Athens agreed on a painful austerity and reform program with EU and International Monetary Fund in exchange of the vital loans.

Monday's strike inaugurates a new round of anti-austerity protests this week. On Wednesday, the country is expected to be paralyzed, as the two main labor unions of public and private sector employees have called for the first nationwide general strike for this autumn.

After the summer's lull, Greece has been hit by a new wave of strikes and protests by various groups, ranging from judges and doctors to pensions, police officers and prisoners.

On Sunday night, dozens of inmates at an Athens maximum security prison staged a protest against overcrowding due to budget cuts, refusing to return to their cells for hours.

The unrest which had started from a group of Muslim detainees protesting the recent American "anti-Islam" film, ended with no injuries on Monday.