Greece in the grip of multiple strikes called by unions and labour centres on Wednesday
epa10509049 People rally during a nationwide 24-hour strike following a deadly train crash that claimed the lives of at least 57 people, in Athens, Greece 08 March 2023. The Greek Civil Servants’ Confederation (ADEDY) announced a 24-hour nationwide strike in the public sector on 08 March, a week after the deadly head-on crash between two trains along the Athens-Thessaloniki line on the night of 28 February. According to ADEDY, the strike was called ‘to demand an end to the policy of privatization’, as well as to hold accountable those responsible for the fatal crash. EPA/GEORGE VITSARAS
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Strike action organised by several trade union organisations and labour centres throughout Greece on Wednesday, March 8, presages a difficult day ahead for Greeks. The public-sector employees’ union federation ADEDY has decided to convert a planned work stoppage for International Women’s Day into a 24-hour strike in response to the rail accident in Tempi, demanding an end to a policy of privatisations and calling those truly responsible for Tempi to be held to account.
Public transport strikes in Athens have left commuters stranded in a snarl of heavy traffic as they struggle to get to work, while protest rallies are scheduled to be held in the city centre, starting with that at Klafthmonos Square at 12:30. Metro line 1 and tram services will temporarily start running after 11:00, joined by metro lines 2 and 3 at noon, in order to help protestors reach strike rallies. The last trains on Lines 2 and 3 will continue operating until 16:00, while metro line 1 and trams will run until 17:00 before they resume strike action. This will also affect services to the Athens airport.
At the orders of the police, however, the central Athens metro stations Syntagma, Panepistimio, Omonia, Monastiraki and Evangelismos will remain closed and trains will pass through the stations without stopping.
Bus and trolley services, apart from those operated by the intercity KTEL coaches, will not be running throughout the day. All Hellenic Train services, including the Proastiakos suburban rail line, will also not be running throughout the day due to rolling strikes called by their unions since the rail accident.
Taxis in Athens will be running as normal, though their union SATA will participate in the protest action in Syntagma.
The strike action has been joined by the national federation of hospital employees POEDHN, who urged members to join the Klaftmonos Square rally, over both the accident and equal opportunities for women in the health and welfare sector, as well as the Federation of Hospital Doctors’ Union of Greece (OENGE) and the school teachers’ union federations DOE and OLME, with additional demands relating to education and the safety of school buildings.
They are joined by the Panhellenic Seamen’s Federation PNO, which called a 24-hour strike in Piraeus for all categories of ships, also demanding a full investigation of the train crash, while the Athens Labour Centre called a 24-hour strike and a rally in Syntagma Square at 13:00, with demands relating to the train accident and safety on all means of public transport.
The left-wing trade union faction PAME, affiliated to the Communist Party of Greece, has also called a protest rally over the rail accident at Propylea on Panepistimou Street at 12:30.
Source: ANA – MPA
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