On 4 November 2004, the Greek Confederation of Public Servants (ADEDY) held a 24-hour strike in opposition to the government’s pay policy. This was the most widespread action in wave of strikes which has hit Greece in recent months, involving groups such as doctors and other hospital staff, professors and teachers, employees of the Civil Aviation Authority, ferry workers and construction workers.
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On 4 November 2004, the Greek Confederation of Public Servants (ADEDY) held a 24-hour strike in opposition to the government’s pay policy. This was the most widespread action in wave of strikes which has hit Greece in recent months, involving groups such as doctors and other hospital staff, professors and teachers, employees of the Civil Aviation Authority, ferry workers and construction workers.
On 4 November 2003, the Confederation of Public Servants (ADEDY) held a 24-hour nationwide strike, expressing its opposition to the government’s pay policy and the low rates of pay increases for public servants included in the 2004 state budget. The strikers' main demands were to: bring public servants’ pay and institutions into line with those in the rest of the EU; achieve recognition of arduous and unhealthy occupations in the public sector (GR0311103F); repeal Law 3174/2003 on 'part-time employment and services of a social nature' (GR0309103F), which extends part-time employment to the public sector; and increase family allowances and pay allowances due restrospectively, which the government has refused to do despite court decisions to this effect.
Apart from the 24-hour strike on 4 November 2003, ADEDY is expected to decide to step up its actions by calling another 24-hour strike, probably in December, in the context of the debate in parliament on the 2004 budget. The prospect of parliamentary elections in early 2004 has probably fuelled the public servants' action
Also participating in the ADEDY actions were doctors and other employees in public hospitals, whose demands were mainly financial, as well as the employees of the National Emergency Assistance Centre (EKAB), who are demanding that their occupations be classified as arduous and unhealthy (a designation that brings pay and pensions benefits). Furthermore, a general assembly of workers at the Civil Aviation Authority resolved to take part in the 24-hour strike organised by ADEDY, protesting against court decisions declaring strikes in Agency to be illegal and excessive and thus depriving its workers of the right to strike, even where the conditions for exercising that right are observed.
The area of education, too, has seen industrial action. Since 15 September 2003, university professors have refused to perform their teaching duties, following a decision by the Panhellenic Federation of Teaching and Research Staff Associations (POSDEP). Their main demands are for more spending on universities and better pay for professors, on the basis of decisions taken by a 'national dialogue committee', which met in late 2002 with the participation of the government, but not implemented by the Ministry of Education. Serious problems created by the strike in universities led the teaching staff temporarily to suspend their action until 5 December 2003, in an attempt to find a solution.
On 4 and 5 November 2003, teachers in primary and secondary education held a 48-hour strike, called by the Federation of Secondary School Teachers of Greece (OLME) and Greek Primary Teachers Federation (DOE). Their basic demands are to bring spending on education up to 5% of gross national product (GNP) and enshrine their social insurance and pension rights in law; alongside demands on pay and conditions.
A strike by workers at the National Statistical Service of Greece (ESYE) entered its second month in December 2003. The strike, mainly over pay, involves all ESYE white-collar workers. As a result, numerous problems have been created in the government’s economic departments, as many economic indicators are no longer being updated.
The construction workers’ trade union federation called a strike for 26 November 2003, demanding workplace health and safety measures, minimum pay and minimum pension increases, unemployment benefits equivalent to 80% of wages and enshrinement in law of their social insurance rights.
Finally, repeated strikes by 100% of maritime workers on ferries between Rio and Antirrio have caused major problems, including interruptions of communication between eastern and western Greece. The maritime workers’ action focused on anxiety and uncertainty surrounding the future of their jobs, because after completion of a bridge now under construction, most of the 30 or so ferries now sailing between Rio and Antirrio will cease operations. Although the courts declared their strike illegal and excessive, the maritime workers stayed out on strike for seven days, demanding better pensions, pay increases and regulations to combat the unemployment expected to hit their sector after the bridge is open to traffic.
Although workers many sectors have temporarily suspended their industrial action, new strikes scheduled for the coming months are expected to maintain the climate of tension that has arisen.
Eurofound recommends citing this publication in the following way.
Eurofound (2003), Wave of strikes hits Greece, article.
