Cyprus Mail
EuropeGreeceWorld

Greek workers strike over soaring prices, low wages

file photo: people wearing protective face masks against covid 19 walk in syntagma square in athens, greece
Syntagma Square in Athens

 Greek workers began a day-long nationwide strike on Wednesday over what they call a “deepening crisis” of rising prices and squeezed incomes, disrupting transport, ferries, schools and public hospitals.

The country’s two biggest labour unions, representing about 2.5 million public and private sector workers, called the general strike expected to culminate in a protest in central Athens.

Greece emerged from a decade of financial crisis in 2018, only for the coronavirus pandemic to bring global travel to a standstill two years later, hurting its vital tourism industry.

Now, soaring energy prices, exacerbated by sanctions against Russia since its invasion of Ukraine in February, have further hurt workers’ pockets.

“For the last 14 years, workers have been carrying the burden of a deep crisis that has affected everyone’s incomes and lives,” said GSEE, the country’s umbrella private sector union.

“As the years go by the crisis is constantly deepening, the burdens remain, our rights are shrinking.”

Greece’s annual consumer inflation surged to a 25-year high of 7.2% in February on the back of rising energy, housing and transportation costs.

The government has spent about 3.7 billion euros ($4 billion) since September to alleviate the burden of soaring energy and fuel costs for farmers, households and businesses.

For the striking workers, the measures do not go far enough.

GSEE said in March it had proposed a 13% increase in the monthly gross minimum wage to 751 euros due to soaring inflation.

Follow the Cyprus Mail on Google News

Related Posts

German economy skirts recession, helped by construction and exports

Reuters News Service

Biden administration takes step to make marijuana use a less serious crime

Reuters News Service

Christodoulides and Sunak talk amid migration parallels

Tom Cleaver

Judge fines Trump $9,000 for contempt, threatens jail

Reuters News Service

Israel awaits Hamas response on proposed halt to fighting

Reuters News Service

Smiling King Charles visits cancer centre on return to public duties

Reuters News Service