Ships docked, trains halted as striking Greek workers protest over rising costs

Record ID: 1819191

  • Title: Ships docked, trains halted as striking Greek workers protest over rising costs
  • Date: 17th April 2024
  • Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (APRIL 17, 2024) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS MARCHING THROUGH ATHENS PROTESTER CHANTING: (Greek) “Eight hours are too many” PLACARD WITH PHOTO OF GREEK PRIME MINISTER KYRIAKOS MITSOTAKIS CROSSED OUT, READING: (Greek) "GOVERNMENT OF KILLERS, WE MUST OVERTURN IT" PROTESTER CHANTING: (Greek) ‘WAGE INCREASES” PROTESTERS CHANTING: (Greek) “PEOPLE, YOU CAN DEF
  • Embargoed: 1st May 2024 12:20
  • Keywords: GREECE STRIKE WAGES
  • Location: ATHENS AND PIRAEUS, GREECE
  • City: ATHENS AND PIRAEUS, GREECE
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: Europe,Society/Social Issues
  • Reuters ID: LVA001577817042024RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Thousands of striking workers marched through the Greek capital on Wednesday (April 17) in a 24-hour strike to demand higher pay to cope with rising living costs.
    Ships remained docked at Greek ports and train services were halted as part of the action.
    Bus and taxi drivers also walked off the job for a few hours as part of the labour action called by Greece's largest private sector union GSEE.
    Since a 2010-18 debt crisis when wages were slashed as part of painful austerity in return for three international bailouts, Greece's economy has been growing at nearly twice the euro zone rate and the country last year regained investment grade status after 13 years in the "junk" category.
    The monthly minimum gross wage was raised by 6.4% to 830 euros this month, the fourth such rise in five years, but workers say the pay rises are not enough to keep up with rising food and housing costs.
    The Greek average monthly salary of 1,175 euros is 20% lower than 15 years ago, while unemployment remains above 10%, the second highest in the European Union behind Spain.
    The conservative government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, which won re-election last June, has promised to raise the monthly minimum wage to 950 euros by 2027, when its term ends, and increase the average wage by more than 25% to 1,500 euros in the same period.
    (Production: Stelios Misinas, Vania Turner, Deborah Kyvrikosaios)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2024. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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