Public sector strikes to mark anniversary of deadly train crash
Greece’s public sector will grind to a halt on Wednesday as the union representing civil servants, ADEDY, has called a 24-hour strike to demand pay rises and mark the anniversary of the country’s deadliest train crash.
The strike will shut schools, banks, halt almost all public transport services and ground flights, as teachers, bank employees, transport workers and air traffic controllers will walk off the job.
“One year on and still those responsible for the tragedy have not been held accountable for their criminal actions that led 57 of our fellow citizens – the vast majority of them young – to their deaths and plunged their families into mourning,” ADEDY said in a press release.
“A year later, we are here again in the streets, to shout, all of us together, that we will not forget.”
The union is also demanding a wage increase of 10%, the lifting of the 2016-17 wage freeze and an increase of the tax-free ceiling to 12,000 euros.
There will be no taxis, metro, tram or railway services, while four shipping unions are also participating in the strike. Buses and trolleys will be the only means of transport running from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
