The Greek parliament has approved a bill to cut 15-thousand government personnel through next year.

Local media say parliament passed the bill Sunday at midnight, local time, in a 168-128 vote.

Last week, the debt-ridden Greek government struck an agreement on a bailout package with the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank, which are its foreign creditors. As part of measures of the rescue deal, Greece agreed to reduce the number of its public employees. It drafted a bill to this effect and submitted it to parliament.

With the bill passed, Greece is expected to gain approval of receiving a six billion euro bailout fund at the euro zone finance ministers' meeting opening May 13th.