This jolly season is often made jollier with that nice holiday bonus -preferably cash -from your boss.

At a Havana Western Union office, Cubans, often hard pressed to make ends meet, were thrilled over their unexpected holiday bonus.

The troika has demanded new measures that include lowering the minimum wage and cutting holiday bonuses.

Greek political leaders agreed to cut the minimum wage by 22 percent but managed to prevent holiday bonuses from being scrapped.

As part of the reforms, Greece may have to lower its minimum wage and cut holiday bonuses in the private sector, he added.

The court had declared illegal a series of measures agreed with Portugal's own troika which would have reduced holiday bonuses and other public sector privileges.