Acropolis, other Greek sites to open as guards scrap strike

The Acropolis and other ancient monuments and museums in Athens will be open this weekend after Greek Culture Ministry employees called off a planned two-day strike.

The ministry workers' union says it took its decision following a meeting late Wednesday with Greeces culture minister – who, it said, took a “responsible” approach to employees' demands.

The weekend strike, at the heart of the summer season, would have been a considerable embarrassment for Greece's key tourism industry.

The union wants the government to honor a pledge to hire 233 archaeologists and guards, replacing employees who have retired in recent years.

Under the terms of Greece's international bailouts, only a fraction of the civil servants who retire can be replaced by new hires.

[AP]