ATHENS - Striking Greek workers marched through Athens on Thursday and disrupted public transport, schools and shipping in the second big protest in three weeks against planned pension reforms, but turnout was lower amid a mood of resignation. The 24-hour walkout by Greece’s two biggest unions, representing about 2.5 million workers, was a test of the leftist-led government’s resolve to implement unpopular austerity measures in the face of growing resistance at home. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ government majority has shrunk to three seats as it pushes through reforms agreed with its foreign creditors in July, driving him to seek opposition backing for future legislation. But opposition parties have so far refused to support the tough pension reforms that Greece has promised to submit by December under the terms of its latest bailout from the European Union and International Monetary Fund. Greeks have responded angrily to the latest measures, exasperated after years of an economic crisis which has shrunk their incomes, shut businesses and pushed unemployment up to one in four of the workforce. The leftist government says it would rather raise pension contributions than cut benefits to retirees again. “It’s unfair,” said jeweller Panayiotis Titos. “When there’s a crisis and you raise contributions, it’s very difficult for businesses because the turnover is not high and the profit is not enough.” Thousands of protesters marched to parliament on the main Syntagma Square, the focal point of anti-austerity anger. Tensions flared briefly when police in riot gear fired tear gas at protesters hurling rocks and a couple of petrol bombs. But there were fewer demonstrators than in November’s strike, reflecting a feeling among Greeks that nothing will change after six years of economic depression. “I cannot accept this but there’s nothing to be done,” said Eleftherios Orimazoglou, a pensioner, echoing the resignation felt by many. “Everything has been decided ... Even if we go out in the streets, if we resist, nothing will change.” The reforms, part of Greece’s third bailout worth up to 86 billion euros ($91.05 billion) in loans, are aimed at making a fragmented, costly and ailing pension system more viable. So far, the government has raised the retirement age, increased healthcare contributions and scrapped most early retirement benefits to get part of the funds promised by its European lenders. Athens must also merge several pension funds into one and cut back supplementary pensions. In a bid to secure his own party’s backing for the next raft of measures, Tsipras sought to reassure his leftist Syriza lawmakers this week, saying the government would do its best to avoid further reductions to pensions. “We ought to defend the government and its work,” he said. ($1 = 0.9446 euros)