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Observer
09-04-2025
- Business
- Observer
Thousands protest in Athens
ATHENS: Thousands of Greeks gathered in Athens on Wednesday to demand higher wages to cope with rising living costs and a one-day strike left ferries docked at ports, flights grounded and trains at a standstill. Along with air traffic controllers, seafarers and train workers, municipal workers; and bus and metro workers in the capital also walked out. "The workers' salary only gets us through the 10th or the 15th day of the month, it cannot cover basic needs, such as housing and food, education and health," said private sector workers' representative Dina Gkogkaki, 52, who joined the protests in the central Syntagma Square on Wednesday. The General Confederation of Greek Workers, which represents more than 2 million private sector employees, says that Greek workers are buying 10% fewer goods compared to 2019 due to inflation and has called for substantial pay rises and collective labour contracts. Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis told an economic conference in Delphi, Greece that he shared Greek workers' concerns, but that reducing taxation was still a key priority for the government. — Reuters
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Thousands protest in Athens as strike over wages halts ships, planes and trains
By Angeliki Koutantou and STAMOS PROUSALIS ATHENS (Reuters) - Thousands of Greeks gathered in Athens on Wednesday to demand higher wages to cope with rising living costs and a one-day strike left ferries docked at ports, flights grounded and trains at a standstill. Along with air traffic controllers, seafarers and train workers, municipal workers and bus and metro workers in the capital also walked out. Greece has emerged from a 2009-2018 debt crisis which led to rolling cuts in wages and pensions in turn for bailouts worth some 290 billion euros. Economic growth, seen at a 2.3% this year, is now outpacing other eurozone economies. The conservative government has increased the monthly minimum wage by a cumulative 35% to 880 euros since 2019. But many households still struggle to make ends meet amid fast-rising food, power and housing costs, Greece's largest labour unions say. "The workers' salary only gets us through the 10th or the 15th day of the month, it cannot cover basic needs, such as housing and food, education and health," said private sector workers' representative Dina Gkogkaki, 52, who joined the protests in the central Syntagma Square on Wednesday. The General Confederation of Greek Workers, which represents more than 2 million private sector employees, says that Greek workers are buying 10% fewer goods compared to 2019 due to inflation and has called for substantial pay rises and collective labour contracts. Greece's minimum salary in terms of purchasing power was among the lowest in the European Union in January, behind Portugal and Lithuania, Eurostat data showed. At 1,342 euros a month, the average gross salary still stands 10% lower than in 2010, when Greece signed up to its first bailout, according to labour ministry data. The country is outperforming its 2% primary surplus targets, leaving some room for some wage increases, but the government says it must be fiscally prudent to limit interest levied on its debt, which is still the highest in the euro zone. It has promised to bring the minimum wage up to 950 euros by 2027, as it targets an average gross monthly salary of 1,500 euros, closer to the EU average. But monthly expenses for food, utilities and housing have been growing fast. "It's a gap that keeps getting bigger because of price hikes and inflation that affects energy and medicines," said Angelos Galanopoulos from the Seafarers Union. Public sector workers, who were hit by measures to reduce a spendthrift state, have joined the strike, demanding annual bonuses that were scrapped over the past decade. "Our wages are stuck at 2011 levels, without Christmas and Easter bonuses, and sometimes without proper working rights," said Diana Liakou, 58, a kindergarten tutor. Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis told an economic conference in Delphi, Greece that he shared Greek workers' concerns, but that reducing taxation was still a key priority for the government.
Boston Globe
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Violent protests in Greece on rail crash anniversary as frustration at system failures boils over
Advertisement Violence also broke out on the fringes of a protest in the northern city of Thessaloniki, where dozens of hooded protesters broke away from the main rally to clash with riot police. In Athens, repeated rounds of clashes near Parliament left at least 20 people requiring medical attention, authorities said. Police said 120 people were detained, with 27 of them arrested, while another 35 people were detained in Thessaloniki. Confrontations spilled over into nearby streets, with groups of hooded protesters entering an archaeological site near the ancient Roman monument of Hadrian's Arch and pelting riot police with rocks. Unions called a general strike in support of the mass mobilization led by the victims' relatives. Critics say that politicians should be held accountable for failures that led up to the collision, but so far only rail officials have been charged with any crimes. The disaster in Tempe — the worst railway accident in Greece's history — left dozens injured and exposed deficiencies in transportation infrastructure. 'The full truth must come to light, and those responsible, no matter how high their position, must be held accountable,' said Yannis Panagopoulos, president of the General Confederation of Greek Workers, the country's largest labor union, which has backed Friday's strike. Flights and rail services were canceled, ferries halted and public transportation was severely disrupted. Businesses and public services have also been affected, with many stores in Athens and other cities closed, leaving messages of solidarity for the victims' families in front windows. Advertisement Demonstrations were taking place in more than 300 cities and towns in Greece and abroad. Protesters in Athens, chanting 'You count profits. We count lives,' carried black balloons and anti-government banners and blared aerosol horns. Athens municipal worker Costas Reintzopoulos said the rail crash had highlighted longstanding demands for safer working conditions. Eleven of those who died in the Tempe disaster were railway employees. 'Every day, there is a demand to know the truth about what happened, and every day there is demand for better safety measures in the workplace. That is a key reason why this remains relevant,' he said. 'We don't want to mourn more dead people, who leave in the morning to go to work and we don't know if they'll come back.' Memorial services were held at Orthodox churches in Athens for the victims, who included many university students returning from a long weekend. Their families had urged protesters to remain peaceful and keep the focus on remembrance rather than politics. Yet the demonstrations have created a politically precarious moment for Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' government. His conservatives maintain a strong lead in the polls, but public dissatisfaction over the Tempe disaster has led to surging support for anti-establishment parties on both the left and right. Opposition leaders, who are struggling to gain traction, are weighing whether to put forward a censure motion. Mitsotakis promised to continue work to improve rail safety, adding: 'Every Greek participates in this mourning, united under the common demand for truth.' The mountainous country is largely road-reliant and the Greek railway system is centered around a single route between Athens and Thessaloniki, a fact that made the collision harder for many to understand. Advertisement A long-awaited report from the investigation into the crash, released Thursday, blamed human error, outdated infrastructure and major systemic failures for the head-on collision. The aftermath was marked by scenes of chaos, with surviving passengers describing tumbling carriages, fires and smashed windows as they scrambled to escape. It was followed by the gruesome task of victim recovery and identification as many bodies were severely burned or dismembered. Funerals were held across numerous communities throughout Greece, many streamed or broadcast live, turning private grief into a shared national experience. Hours after the collision, Maria Krystianou rushed to the scene of the tragedy to search for her missing daughter, 21-year-old Maria-Thomai, as the train cars still smoldered. After a two-day wait, Maria-Thomai's death was finally confirmed with a DNA match. Krystianou, a 52-year-old pediatrician, has since become a leading figure in the campaign to hold politicians to account for the crash. This week she publicly thanked unions and associations that joined the protests, including doctors at public hospitals, and lawyers and judges who will hold a minute's silence in courts Friday. 'For those of us who had our children and loved ones on that train, a part of us remains with them and will never return. The unrelenting pain and the unimaginable reality are with us forever,' Krystianou told a crowd outside parliament. Pointing to the protesters, she added: 'This is for you, my girl, and for those of us who never made it.' Associated Press journalists Lefteris Pitarakis and Theodora Tongas in Athens and Costas Kantouris in Thessaloniki contributed. Advertisement
Los Angeles Times
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Violent protests and general strike roil cities across Greece
ATHENS, Greece — Riot police fired volleys of tear gas, stun grenades and water canon at protesters hurling gasoline bombs and smashed-up paving stones in Athens on Friday during a massive demonstration marking the second anniversary of Greece's worst rail disaster that has become a symbol of institutional failure. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in cities across the country as part of a general strike called to demand justice for the 57 people killed on Feb. 28, 2023, when a passenger train collided head-on with a freight train. Among the largest demonstrations since Greece's debt crisis a decade ago, Friday's protests were fueled by public resentment against the conservative government's perceived lack of accountability in the wake of the disaster, and the slow pace of the investigation. Violence also broke out on the fringes of a protest in the northern city of Thessaloniki, where dozens of hooded protesters broke away from the main rally to clash with riot police. In Athens, repeated rounds of clashes near Parliament left at least 20 people requiring medical attention, authorities said. Police said 120 people were detained, with 27 of them arrested. Confrontations spilled over into nearby streets, with groups of hooded protesters entering an archaeological site near the ancient Roman monument of Hadrian's Arch and pelting riot police with rocks. Unions called a general strike in support of the mass mobilization led by the victims' relatives. Critics say that politicians should be held accountable for failures that led up to the collision, but so far only rail officials have been charged with any crimes. The rail disaster in Tempe left dozens injured and exposed deficiencies in transportation infrastructure. 'The full truth must come to light, and those responsible, no matter how high their position, must be held accountable,' said Yannis Panagopoulos, president of the General Confederation of Greek Workers, the country's largest labor union, which has backed Friday's strike. Flights and rail services were canceled, ferries halted and public transportation was severely disrupted. Businesses and public services have also been affected, with many stores in Athens and other cities closed, leaving messages of solidarity for the victims' families in front windows. Demonstrations were taking place in more than 300 cities and towns in Greece and abroad. Protesters in Athens, chanting 'You count profits. We count lives,' carried black balloons and anti-government banners and blared aerosol horns. Athens municipal worker Costas Reintzopoulos said the rail crash had highlighted longstanding demands for safer working conditions; eleven of those who died were railway employees. 'Every day, there is a demand to know the truth about what happened, and every day there is demand for better safety measures in the workplace. That is a key reason why this remains relevant,' he said. 'We don't want to mourn more dead people, who leave in the morning to go to work and we don't know if they'll come back.' Memorial services were held at Orthodox churches in Athens for the victims, who included many university students returning from a long weekend. Their families had urged protesters to remain peaceful and keep the focus on remembrance rather than politics. Yet the demonstrations have created a politically precarious moment for Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' government. His conservatives maintain a strong lead in the polls, but public dissatisfaction over the Tempe disaster has led to surging support for anti-establishment parties on both the left and right. Opposition leaders, who are struggling to gain traction, are weighing whether to put forward a censure motion. Mitsotakis promised to continue work to improve rail safety, adding: 'Every Greek participates in this mourning, united under the common demand for truth.' The mountainous country is largely road-reliant and the Greek railway system is centered on a single route between Athens and Thessaloniki, a fact that made the collision harder for many to understand. A long-awaited report from the investigation into the crash, released Thursday, blamed human error, outdated infrastructure and major systemic failures for the head-on collision. Surviving passengers described tumbling carriages, fires and smashed windows as they scrambled to escape. Bodies were severely burned or dismembered. Funerals across Greece, many streamed or broadcast live, turned private grief into a shared national experience. Hours after the collision, Maria Krystianou rushed to the scene of the tragedy to search for her missing daughter, 21-year-old Maria-Thomai, as the train cars still smoldered. After a two-day wait, Maria-Thomai's death was finally confirmed with a DNA match. Krystianou, a 52-year-old pediatrician, has since become a leading figure in the campaign to hold politicians to account for the crash. This week she publicly thanked unions and associations that joined the protests, including doctors at public hospitals, and lawyers and judges who will hold a minute's silence in courts Friday. 'For those of us who had our children and loved ones on that train, a part of us remains with them and will never return. The unrelenting pain and the unimaginable reality are with us forever,' Krystianou told a crowd outside parliament. Pointing to the protesters, she added: 'This is for you, my girl, and for those of us who never made it.' Gatopoulos and Becatoros write for the Associated Press. AP journalists Lefteris Pitarakis and Theodora Tongas in Athens and Costas Kantouris in Thessaloniki contributed to this report.
Saudi Gazette
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Mass protests paralyze Greece on second anniversary of deadly train crash
ATHENS — Hundreds of thousands of people across Greece joined protests and strikes on Friday on the second anniversary of the nation's deadliest train crash, which has become a symbol of institutional failure and piled pressure on Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Flights and rail services have been canceled, ferries halted and public transportation across the country has been severely disrupted, with air traffic controllers, seafarers and train drivers joining teachers, lawyers and doctors in a 24-hour general strike. Rallies are taking place nationwide, and tens of thousands gathered in Syntagma Square in central Athens on Friday morning, under the watch of police in riot gear. One banner held by protesters read: "Government of murderers". Fifty-seven people — almost all students — were killed on 28 February 2023 when a passenger train collided with a freight train near the Tempe gorge in central Greece. The crash also left dozens injured and exposed deficiencies in the nation's transport infrastructure. The protests, led by relatives of the victims, have been fuelled by resentment against the conservative government's perceived inaction. Critics of the Mitsotakis administration say that politicians should be held accountable for failures that led up to the crash, but so far, only rail officials have been charged with any crimes, and no trial has been held yet. "The full truth must come to light, and those responsible, no matter how high their position, must be held accountable," said Yannis Panagopoulos, president of the General Confederation of Greek Workers, the country's largest labor union. A long-awaited report on the investigation into the country's worst railway accident — released on Thursday — blamed human error, outdated infrastructure and major systemic failures. A separate judicial investigation is still ongoing. The protests have put Mitsotakis' government in a precarious position. While his New Democracy party maintains a strong lead in the polls, but public dissatisfaction over the disaster has led to surging support for anti-establishment parties on the left and right. An opinion poll carried out this week by Pulse showed that 82% of Greeks said the train disaster was the most or one of the most important issues in the country, while two-thirds said they were dissatisfied with the investigations into the disaster. Greece's main opposition party — the socialist Pasok-KINAL — said it will submit a censure motion against the government next week. In response, government spokesperson Vangelis Marinakis ruled out the possibility of snap general elections. "We saw the ugliest face of the country in the national mirror," he wrote on Facebook, referring to the crash. "Fatal human errors met with chronic state inadequacies." The aftermath of the crash was marked by scenes of chaos, with surviving passengers describing tumbling carriages, fires and smashed windows as they scrambled to escape. That was followed by the gruesome task of victim recovery and identification as many bodies were severely burned or dismembered. Funerals were held throughout Greece, many streamed or broadcast live, turning private grief into a shared national experience. — Euronews
