Third day of general strike in Greece

Greek unions on Wednesday called for a new 24-hour general strike, the second of the year, to demand wage increases. This primarily impacted transportation services.

This strike follows the one on February 28, which brought together hundreds of thousands of demonstrators across the country in one of the largest mobilizations in recent decades. They demanded justice for the 57 victims of the 2023 train accident and protested against the rising cost of living.

In addition to disruptions in urban transport, airline connections were also affected by a strike among air traffic controllers.

Ferries have been stranded since the morning, and connections to islands in the Aegean and Ionian Seas have been canceled.

Schools, courts, banks, and public services remained closed following the strike call by the confederation of public sector unions, Adedy, and the private sector union, GSEE.

The two unions organized morning rallies in downtown Athens and Thessaloniki, the second-largest city in northern Greece. Demonstrations are also planned in other major cities.

Adedy criticized "exorbitant prices, the result of cartels that operate freely in the energy sector and also in various products and services."

The union also criticized the conservative government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, blaming its policies for contributing to the rise in housing prices, a consequence of the unchecked tourist development that has led to an accommodation crisis.

Adedy is demanding wage increases, noting that "after 10 years of stagnation" wages rose by only 4% last year and just 1% this year.

Despite high growth (2.2% in 2024), wages in Greece remain particularly low, and rates continue to rise in a country where inflation averaged 3.5% in 2024.