Greek lawmakers on Sunday agreed to cut thousands of government workers to secure another 8.8 billion euros ($11.5 billion) in bailout funds. The vote clears the way for 15,000 civil servants to be dismissed by the end of 2014, the first time Greece's cash-strapped government has said it will cut its workforce of about 700,000, according to a report of CNN. Previous austerity measures have cut pay for public workers as much as 30% and reduced pension benefits. Sunday's 168-123 vote came after heated debate in parliament. "We are going through a very difficult path, but this is going to be a success story," Prime Minister Antonis Samaras told reporters after the vote.