Greece is "paralyzed" by the general strike - Demonstrations in many cities

For 24 hours nothing will work

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Large demonstrations in several cities and strike action are planned for Thursday, March 17, in yet another protest over the tragic train crash that killed 57 people in Tempe.

Nothing will work for 24 hours, while Mass Transportation in Attica will operate at specific times, in order to serve those citizens who want to participate in the demonstrations.

Where will the gatherings take place in Athens?

- GSEE calls for a gathering at Syntagma Square at 11:00. 
-The Labor Center of Athens has a call at Syntagma Square, at 11:00. 
- ADEDY is calling for participation in the gathering that will take place in - Klathmonos Square, at 11:00. 
-OLME calls for a gathering in Athens at 11:00 in Klathmonos Square. 
- Anti-authoritarians, collectives and extra-parliamentary Left, at 12 noon in Hautea. 
Student clubs at 11:30 in Propylaia.

How Public Transport will move

The Workers' Union OASA decided to participate in Thursday's strike with work stoppages.

So on Thursday the buses and the trolleys decided to stop work from the start of the shift until 9:00 and from 21:00 until the end of the shift - that is, the buses will run normally from 9:00 to 21:00. In this way, the citizens who wish to participate in the rallies will also be served.

It is reminded that there will be no buses on Thursday and Thessaloniki, with the OASTH unions participating in the strike with 24-hour mobilization.

Metro, ISAP and Tram will run from 10:00 to 15:00

In the 24-hour strike of GSEE and EKA on March 16, the employees of Fixed Orbit Media also participate. According to a joint statement issued by the unions in the fixed-track media, to facilitate participation in the strike rally, trains on Lines 1, 2, 3 and the Tram will run from 10:00 a.m. to 15:00 p.m.

During the period of operation of the Metro Lines, the "SYNTAGMA", "PANEPISTIMIO" and "OMONOIA" stations will remain closed and the trains will pass through them without making a stop.

The train tragedy of Tempe, it is stated in a related announcement, "has plunged the country into mourning and continues to shock everyone, raising a great "wave" of anger and at the same time a demand for the attribution of responsibilities, where and if they belong and the taking of measures for the transport safety, which is a social good.

"Faced with this situation, the trade union movement", they emphasize, "must not allow the tragic tragedy to be forgotten!" To become the voice of the people's demands so that, once again, there is no disorientation with the shifting of responsibilities and delays in the awarding of Justice, which lead to a cover-up! At the same time, our deceased railway colleagues, victims and those of the unspeakable tragedy, with their deaths reveal the responsibilities of governments, the undermining of railway infrastructure and bring to light the long list of workers who lost their lives in work accidents recent years. The workers in Fixed Transportation, join our voice with all the people and demand the immediate adoption of all the necessary safety measures in all Means of Transport, which mainly serve the working class, the young and the young".

No trains and commuter

In addition, due to the strike declared by the Panhellenic Federation of Railways and Fixed Track Vehicles, the suburban railway will not operate 24 hours a day.

In its announcement, the Panhellenic Federation of Railways and Fixed Track Vehicles states: "In the effort to shed a lot of light on the causes of the accident and to assign responsibility to those who really belong to them, no matter how high they are, the Federation will help. We are together. We are united far from mutual accusations and political expediencies. We stand by the relatives of our colleagues and fellow citizens who lost their own people so unjustly, with the promise of getting the knife to the bone. We promise the entire Greek Society a MODERN and SAFE RAILWAY FOR ALL".

 Finally, the Federation invites all workers to take part in the rally in Syntagma Square.

ADEDY calls for a rallyin Klathmonos square at 11:00 am.

"With the general labor strike, we demand that the real culprits of the crime of Tempe be brought to the surface and that the responsibilities be attributed to those responsible, as well as that the policy of privatization, commercialization and the operation of public services with private economic criteria be stopped. We also demand that the protection of work and life ceases to be treated as a cost. Tempe's crime will not be covered up. We claim the life we ​​deserve, a life with modern rights, a better future for us and our children" says ADEDY in its announcement and calls on the prefectural departments of ADEDY, in collaboration with the Labor Centers and primary associations, to organize corresponding gatherings and actions in their cities.

The Labor Center of Athens who decided to participate in the 24-hour strike announced by the GSEE, calls to the strike rally in Syntagma Square, at 11 am.

"All of our lives matter and voices must not be silenced. The tragic accident in Tempe, at least 57 dead and 4 injured, who are fighting to stay alive in the ICU, does not let the anger stop. Society, workers and students across the country, we mourn and demand accountability and transparency, so that all that governments have been hiding can now come to light. We demand that the pathogens be put to an end and that the state take care of the safe movement of citizens. The collective request of all citizens is that transportation services, which are a vital social good, serve safely and respectfully the health and safety of the public and workers," the Athens Labor Center says in a statement and adds:

"We demand and demand for transport workers and the traveling public:

– Immediate and in-depth attribution of responsibility for the Tempe tragedy.

– Public, modern, safe and cheap public transport.

– Strict security control measures.

– Co-responsibility of the state and the employer for the observance of safety measures.

– Immediate reopening with restoration of railway infrastructure and taking measures to safely reroute arterial and commercial trains.

– Completion of remote control and secondary control system modernization projects.

– Strict adherence to transport health and safety legislation.

– Direct application of European safety standards”.

Gathering at 11 in the morning of the same day, in the Constitution, also decided GSEE.

According to a related announcement "each one and all of us together want to express in our own way our eternal disappointment for what did not happen, but above all the anger for what happened in Tempi".

"For the workers of the entire country, the in-depth investigation and the attribution of responsibilities, as well as the taking of measures so that we do not mourn human lives again, is a central demand of society and is at the heart of our strike mobilization" states, among other things, the GSEE and adds : "We will not allow the opacity, the cover-up, the shifting of responsibilities and any delays to lead to oblivion. We demand that the causes of the accident be fully investigated and those responsible be revealed. We will not allow party and electoral expediencies to become the cause of easy attributions and exchange of accusations".

"The railway is still a means of transport with extremely class characteristics [...] The state, if nothing else, must ensure the basics. Transportation safety and quality of services",the announcement concludes.

The ships are "tied up" in the ports

The ships will also remain tied up on Thursday, as the PNO will also participate in the strike.

The strike begins at 00.01 on March 16 and will end at 24.00, as stated in the Press Release issued by PNO.

The Press Release of the Panhellenic Maritime Federation states:

"The Management of the Panhellenic Maritime Federation in today's meeting unanimously decided the participation of our Federation in the 24-hour general strike for the tragedy in Tempi, which was unanimously decided on 12-03-2023 by the representatives of the 38th Conference of the GSEE, which begins at 00.01 on 16-03-2023, Thursday, and ends at 24.00 of the same day.

Our Federation highlights and underlines, once again, its firm and stable position for the safety of maritime transport and the protection of human life at sea, demanding the repeal and amendment of Law 4150/2013 as regards the special-reduced organic compositions and the need for the establishment of a new legislative framework which responds to today's real needs of ships and seafaring in order to fully ensure human working conditions and above all the safety of ships, passengers and crew".

No air traffic controllers

The Union of Air Traffic Controllers of Greece (EEEKE) will also participate in the 24-hour strike.

"EEEKE has decided to invite its members to participate in the 24-hour strike of A.D.E.D.Y. on Thursday 16 March from 00.01 to 24.00" is indicated in a relevant announcement.

Due to the participation of auditors in the strike, from 00:01 to 24:00 local time, the AEGEAN and Olympic Airinform the passenger public that they are obliged to cancel all scheduled flights of the internal and external network.

Passengers with tickets on affected flights will receive a message from the company or from the respective travel agencies through which they purchased their tickets. Passengers on all affected flights can change tickets without re-issuing costs and fare difference.

OLME is also on strike

OLME is calling secondary school teachers for mass participation in the 24-hour general strike on Thursday, March 16. With a request to demand "together with all the workers and the people to put an end to the policy of privatization and to assign the real responsibilities for the Tempe accident".

OLME is calling for a gathering in Athens that will take place on 11:00 in Klathmonos square. "We demand and struggle to reveal the real causes of the tragedy our people are living through, to reveal and punish all the guilty and not to hide behind "human" mistakes.We have no right to remain silent and of course we don't, on the contrary, from the first moment we took to the streets and are fighting to make the guilty pay in principle and to prevent another such tragedy", is mentioned in a relevant announcement by OLME.

Lawyers are on strike in Athens

The Bar Association of Athens also decided on their participation in Thursday's mobilizations for the tragedy in Tempi and the abstention from the courtrooms.

At the same time, it was decided to make a statement of representation in support of the charge in the pending related criminal proceedings, with the personal representation of the presidents of the Coordination Committee in Larissa.

Specifically, according to what is stated in the relevant announcement:

"The Board of Directors of the DSA, after taking into consideration the recommendation of the Coordinating Committee regarding the position of the Board regarding the fatal accident in Tempe, decided by circular the following:

The participation of its members in the mobilizations organized by social organizations on Thursday 16.3.2023.
The statement of representation in support of the charge in the pending relevant criminal proceedings, with the personal representation of the presidents of the Coordination Committee in Larissa.
Abstention of its members from their duties on Thursday 16.3.2023.
The organization of a silent protest by its members on the same day (Thursday 16.3.2023) at 20:30 in an Athens Court (which will be announced tomorrow, March 14).
The legal body (with the decisions of the Plenary from 5.3.2023 and the Coordination Committee from 13.3.2023) has already highlighted the need for a rapid and complete investigation into the causes of the fatal train accident, in order to provide answers to all the issues they saw the public light, which concern the Greek society and are related to the safety of the railway network and to assign responsibilities, civil and criminal, wherever they belong, both to official factors and to any other person involved.

This is a matter of national and social interest, which concerns us all. No one has the right to remain silent in the face of this tragedy. We owe it to the victims of the accident and their families, but also to our society, which cannot relive another tragedy."

"Delivery workers" and food-tourism workers are also calling for a strike

SVEOD (Assembly of Workers' Base of Bicycle Drivers) is calling the distributors for a 24-hour strike mobilization on Thursday.

"On Thursday, March 16, we are striking and demonstrating in the center of Athens. We are calling for a gathering at 12:00 in Hauteia (Aiolou and Patision). We are holding a rally at 11:00 at the offices of our association, Skylitsi 10" they state in their announcement.

Source: skai.gr