Greece is in the grip of widespread strikes as unions intensify their demand to reinstate bargaining rights eliminated during past financial bailouts. Led by the General Confederation of Greek Labor (GSEE), the strikes paralyzed ferry and public transport services across Athens and beyond on Wednesday.
The GSEE orchestrated the strikes to push for the return of collective bargaining rights abolished over a decade ago during a severe economic downturn. In central Athens, hundreds of demonstrators gathered for a planned protest later in the day.
The 24-hour strikes caused disruptions across various public services, including significant impacts on ferry operations and staffing shortages in state-run hospitals.
Despite Greece’s recent economic resurgence and attainment of an investment-grade sovereign bond rating following extensive international bailouts and a harsh recession from 2010 to 2018, unions argue that many labor rights suspended during the bailout era remain unreinstated.
GSEE leader Yiannis Panagopoulos emphasized during a pre-strike news conference that promises made during the bailouts about temporary measures have not materialized. He stated, “Restoring labor laws, collective and individual working rights, costs nothing. And it gives us the tools to seek fair pay.”
