ATHENS – Workers and commuters faced another rough day Feb. 18 when Greek labor unions held a 24-hour strike that shut down most forms of public transport, creating another monster traffic jam in the Greek capital.
Buses, trolleys, trams, the metro and electric railway shut down as part of the action called by the umbrella civil servant’s union ADEDY against a New Democracy government social security bill, the latest in hundreds of protests over the last decade against austerity measures that failed to make any government pull back most measures.
Members of the communist-backed labor union PAME shout slogans during a rally in Athens, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020. A 24-hour strike in Greece has halted ferries, public transport, and municipal services in Athens and other parts of the country, as unions mounted protests against pension reforms by the center-right government. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)
The Athens suburban railway (Proastiakos) and intercity trains, which wasn’t expected to be affected by the strike had a sudden change of plans however, although it’s operated by the company TrainOSE, which manages them under privatization, acquired by the Italian national railway company, Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane.
Commuters in Athens were stranded on train platforms when TrainOSE unexpectedly announced that the Athens suburban railway (Proastiakos) and intercity trains would not operate because of the “sudden, unannounced” strike of railway employees at the main train depot in Athens.
Speaking to radio station SKAI, Trainose CEO Filipos Tsalidis said that drivers were waiting to depart when railway employees took over the platform in the Rendi train station, where all trains depart from.
The announced participation of Athens buses, trolleys, metro and tram employees to the strike forced traffic police to lift restrictions on vehicles entering downtown, which is done on an odd-even basis based on license plates, only adding to the congestion of a traffic free-for-all.
ADEDY also planned a morning protest rally at Klafthmonos Square in the city center while the Athens Labor Center and the Communist-affiliated trade union PAME planned separate rallies elsewhere.
Public hospitals will operate on skeleton staff, as the union of hospitals workers (POEDIN) also joined the strike as did ferry boat workers at Piraeus, Lavrio and Rafina, along with five seamen’s unions, led by the Panhellenic Union of Merchant Navy Seamen (PENEN).
That shut off travel to islands for passengers and for goods that are taken there, leaving passengers stranded for the day. There was no report on whether the strikers would be paid for not working, which has also happened before on some occasions.
(Material from the Associated Press was used in this report)
(Material from the Associated Press was used in this report)
ATHENS - A vow to halt unlawful construction and limit buildings on Mykonos after an archaeologist was badly beaten in a mobster-style attack isn't affecting plans for more super-luxury resorts catering to the rich.
FALMOUTH, MA – The police in Falmouth have identified the victim in an accident involving a car plunging into the ocean on February 20, NBC10 Boston reported.
NEW YORK – Meropi Kyriacou, the new Principal of The Cathedral School in Manhattan, was honored as The National Herald’s Educator of the Year.
Explore articles from the past and connect to your heritage!
Discover the benefits of a subscription including access to exclusive content, events, and more!
Have an idea for a story, or know of an event we should cover? We want to hear about it!
The National Herald is the paper of record of the Greek Diaspora community. Through independent journalism, we bring news to generations of Greek-Americans, with stories on the individual, community and international level. Visit and support our 106 year-old sister publication Εθνικός Κήρυξ.
To purchase a gift subscription, please log out of your account, and purchase the subscription with a new email ID.
Sign up to receive our daily email news briefing.
Sign up for a subscription to The National Herald,
starting as low as $1/week.
and receive more access to The National Herald
View our Terms of Service + Privacy Policy.
and receive more access to The National Herald
View our Terms of Service + Privacy Policy.
We use cookies on our site to personalize your experience, bring you the most relevant content, show you the most useful ads, and to help report any issues with our site. You can update your preferences at any time by visiting preferences. By selecting Accept, you consent to our use of cookies. To learn more about how your data is used, visit our cookie policy.
$1.08 USD
