Strikes by Greek teachers and island ferry crews trigger broader labor disputes

Associated Press Finance
Updated Wed 23 October 2024 



Greece Teachers Protest
The shadows of striking teachers are seen on the road during a protest against Greece's conservative government over labor rights, in Athens, Greece on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024

 (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)


ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Striking Greek public school teachers marched in protest through central Athens on Wednesday as tensions grow between labor organizations and the center-right government over workers’ rights.

Island ferry crews also decided to extend for another two days a strike that has left ships moored in port since Tuesday. Their demands include a 12% pay increase.

The 24-hour teachers' strike was called by Greece's civil servants’ union ADEDY, taking over from teaching unions after the government tried to block the action in court.

Labor unions are pressing for the restoration of rights that were significantly rolled back during successive international bailouts between 2010 and 2018. The austerity measures implemented as a condition for the rescue loans included severe cuts to public spending, tax increases and labor reforms that resulted in a weakening of collective bargaining rules.

Teachers' unions are seeking salary increases and more permanent positions for temporary staff among other demands.

The government maintains that the original strike failed to meet legal requirements under recent labor reforms, while ADEDY accused the government of trying to restrict workers' constitutional right to strike.

Wednesday's march ended peacefully.

Also Wednesday, Greece's Panhellenic Seamen's Federation decided to extend for another two days a two-day strike it launched Tuesday.

The union warned that it would likely consider further extending the strike. That would disrupt travel plans by thousands of Greeks planning a long island weekend ahead of a national holiday on Monday

Up next

European overtourism anger spreads to Greece as protests loom over higher pay demands

Prarthana Prakash

Updated Tue 22 October 2024 at 9:08 am GMT-6·3-min read

Greece is facing looming protests from workers in its tourism industry. (Nicolas Economou—NurPhoto/Getty Images)

Overtourism anger is coming to a head in Greece, with workers in the Greek tourism sector preparing to protest, demanding pay rises and shorter working weeks.

Labor unions are organizing protests in ports, airports, and archaeological sites to raise awareness about the poor wages paid to industry workers.

"We are asking for an increase of 12% for the next two years, that is 6% for each year. We are also asking—in 2024—that the five-day, 40-hour working week also be applied to us," Giorgos Hotzoglou, president of the Hellenic Federation of Tourism Employees, told Euronews in a report published Monday.

If the protests occur, they will be the first in Greece following a summer of antitourism backlash across Europe. This summer, Barcelona and Tenerife saw a wave of anger erupt on city streets after an influx of tourists pushed visitor numbers to a record high.

Greece has probably witnessed the worst side of tourism, an industry its economy has come to rely on heavily. Between 25% and 30% of the country’s GDP now comes from tourism-linked activities; on some islands, that proportion spikes to 90%.

Still, it’s hard to overlook mass tourism's impact on Greece in recent years. It has been blamed for exacerbating a housing and resource shortage.

Last year, the country welcomed nearly 33 million foreign visitors—over three times the size of Greece’s population.

Despite that staggering figure, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis insists the country isn’t facing overtourism. Instead, it needs to improve its management of areas that have become tourist clusters.

“It is very dangerous to present Greece as a place that is not welcoming to tourists,” Mitsotakis told the Financial Times last month.

Tourism clearly has shown no signs of abating. Recent government data in Greece shows that revenues from the industry have ticked down this year despite an increase in arrivals.

If it were up to the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE), it would turn the country’s “sun and sea” appeal and focus instead on offering experiences that truly help it improve.

SETE didn’t immediately return Fortune’s request for comment.

Europe’s battle over tourism

Residents of the towns that have been dealing with a swell in tourists have argued that the once-positive force is now hurting citizens' quality of life by pushing housing costs up and turning local neighborhoods into tourist attractions.

Greece is far from alone in the crisis it faces, and many countries have taken matters into their own hands.

Hungary is considering measures to pause the issuance of short-term Airbnb licenses in its capital city of Budapest.

Meanwhile, Venice has introduced a so-called tourist tax, banned loudspeakers, and capped visitor groups at 25 this year in hopes of keeping the impact of mass tourism under control. Not too far away, Amsterdam plans to halve the number of cruises docking in the town to limit tourist nuisance.

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