A 24-hour general strike led by the General Confederation of Labor of Greece (GSEE) and the Confederation of Public Employees of Greece (ADEDY) has begun. Across the country, unions, labor organizations and non-governmental organizations are taking to the streets to protest rising living costs, low wages, inadequate public transport services, the housing crisis and the government's economic policies. Due to the strike, public transportation services were completely stopped, maritime transportation was also paralyzed and life came to a halt throughout the country. In the statement of GSEE, it was said: "Prices and rents skyrocketed, and salaries remained low."
The Greek Journalists Union also started a 24-hour strike last night with the call of "worker and civil servant unions to improve economic conditions". Members of the press stopped the news flow for 24 hours in support of the general strike that started today.
The general strike, held for the first time in a long time in Greece, clearly reveals the economic difficulties in the country, social inequality and widespread dissatisfaction with the government's policies. The results of the strike, which is expected to affect the political and economic balances in the country, and what attitude the government will take are eagerly awaited.
GSEE and ADEDY are organizing a joint protest in Athens' Klafthmonos Square at 11:00 today. PAME (All Workers Militant Front), which has organic relations with the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), is organizing a separate rally in Propylaea at 10:30. Within the framework of both rallies, the government's economic policies will be protested and improvements in workers' rights and social justice will be demanded.
Today, various unions and non-governmental organizations throughout Greece are organizing rallies in support of the strike.
STRONG MESSAGE FROM PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION EMPLOYEES
In Greece, metro, buses, trams and suburban trains stop their services due to strike. Public transportation vehicles across the country will only operate within certain time zones to transport workers who will participate in today's big strike and rallies held across the country.
In addition to their demands for safe, modern and reliable public transport services, the workers of the public transport sector demand urgent measures to be taken for personnel recruitment, fleet renewal, restoration of 13th and 14th salaries and effective fight against the cost of living. Employees emphasized that it is not possible to provide service under the current conditions and that they will continue to struggle until their demands are met.
Although the Athens Taxi Drivers Union (SATA) announced that taxis would not officially participate in the strike, it called on its union members to support the meeting to be held in front of the SATA office at 09:30 and the subsequent march towards the Ministry of Finance.
FULL SUPPORT TO THE STRIKE FROM SEA TRANSPORTATION
The Hellenic Seafarers' Federation also offers full support to GSEE's strike call. Therefore, ships of all categories remained anchored in ports from early morning. Seafarers expressed their demands for improving working conditions and increasing wages. The cessation of maritime transportation causes cancellation of island-bound flights, major disruptions in freight transportation and losses in the tourism sector.
The main agenda items of the strike include combating the deepening housing crisis, re-establishing the right to collective bargaining and increasing the decreasing purchasing power of employees. GSEE and ADEDY harshly criticized the government's economic policies, emphasizing that the people are experiencing serious financial difficulties due to low wages, high inflation and increasing unemployment, and that the number of people living below the poverty line is rapidly increasing.
Unions state that the government ignores the demands of workers and retirees and that the policies it implements deepen social inequality.
CONCRETE DEMANDS FROM UNIONS
With today's big strike, GSEE demands a significant increase in minimum wages, strengthening the right to collective bargaining, providing affordable housing for all and the rapid implementation of social housing projects.
ADEDY: real wage increases, restoration of 13th and 14th wages, collective bargaining agreements, removal of the 2 percent deduction to the unemployment fund, increased tax exemption, increased compensation for those working in dangerous and unhealthy jobs, more investment in the public health system, schools. It makes demands such as lower student-teacher ratio and personnel recruitment in public institutions.
SUPPORT FROM OTHER UNIONS AROUND THE WORLD
Unions from all over the world published messages of support for the general strike in Greece. According to the relevant bulletin on PAME's website, Turkey's Nakliyat-İş made a statement of support for today's strike of Greek workers. Today's strike is also supported by PEO from Cyprus, the Workers' Union Coalition from Palestine and unions from many countries around the world.
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) also published a message of solidarity with the workers of neighboring countries.
MITOTAKIS' VOTE RATE IS DECREASING
The big strike, which was held for the first time in a long time in Greece, is reflected in the agenda at a time when important developments are taking place in the country's political scene. The ruling conservative New Democracy Party (ND), which recently parted ways with its former leader and former Prime Minister Andonis Samaras, has faced a significant loss of votes in the latest polls and opinion polls.
The vote rate of ND, which has been in power with a vote rate of up to forty percent since 2019, has recently fallen to the 26-27 percent range. ND maintains its first place in the party rankings.
The biggest role in ND's vote loss is the high cost of living and housing shortage. ND is followed by the social democratic PASOK, which has risen to 16-17 percent. Despite the loss of votes and the problems within his party, Prime Minister Andonis Samaras continues to give the message that the possibility of early elections is not on the agenda in the near future.
(NEWS CENTER)
