Sites, museums close as guards walk off the job

As retail stores stayed open on Sunday in a bid to boost flagging trade, many of the country’s main archaeological sites and museums remained closed, as guards ramped up action against the government’s plans for a new civil service wage structure.

At the Acropolis in Athens and Vergina in northern Greece, handwritten notices pasted on the gates informed visitors that the sites were closed, without offering any further explanation. Problems were also been observed at Nemea, Delos, the National Archaeological Museum in Athens and the Archaeological Museum of Iraklio, among others.

Representatives of the union for guards at Greece’s archaeological sites and museums are due to meet with Alternative Administrative Reform Minister Christoforos Vernardakis this week to demand that the government scrap planned reductions in weekend and overtime pay.

Until their request is met, they have said that they will continue weekend strikes, while also urging members not to volunteer their services for any events that take place outside their regular hours, such as cruise passenger or school group visits.