Greece: Municipal worker protests May 22

Event

Municipal workers continue to hold a nationwide strike as of Monday, May 22, and will hold demonstrations in front of town and city halls across the country. In Athens, the workers will gather in front of the Parliament beginning at 11:00 (local time). The strike, launched on May 20, is set to end on Tuesday, May 23.

Localized traffic disruptions are to be expected in the Parliament area of downtown Athens and around city halls nationwide.

Context

The protesters are aiming to pressure the government to employ workers with permanent contracts, notably cleaners, kindergarten workers, and garbage collectors. The authorities have urged citizens to refrain from taking their garbage out until the strike is over.

On May 17, some 18,000 people demonstrated in Athens and Thessaloniki in union-sponsored protests against austerity measures. Strikes and protests are common in Greece, where social tensions have been fueled by deep austerity measures implemented by national authorities and required by the country’s creditors (the European Commission, European Central Bank, and International Monetary Fund) in order to tackle the country's enormous public debt. The Greek government is seeking approval of EUR 7 billion in new bailout loans at a meeting of Eurozone finance ministers taking place on May 22.

Advice

Individuals in Greece are advised to monitor the situation via local media sources and to avoid public gatherings and demonstrations as a precaution.