Railway workers unions in Greece have announced a three-hour work stoppage on Friday, December 20, 2024, from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm, alongside a protest outside the Hellenic Train head offices.
The unions announced they will ensure there are enough workers for minimum operations, with Athens-Thessaloniki and Thessaloniki-Athens routes operating normally to minimize passenger inconvenience.
Key Demands:
- Immediate recruitment in the critically needed areas of expertise
- Immediate interventions to ensure passenger safety
- Immediate interventions for health and safety at work
- Replacement of obsolete rolling stock with new trains for the comfortable, fast and safe transport of passengers.
The unions criticize delays in addressing their demands over the past four years: “”Our demands for safe passenger transportation and safety at work, the repair and maintenance of facilities, changing rooms and restrooms, as well as the tragic lack of staff, which we submitted about four years ago, have not only not been implemented but are literally dragging on, creating miserable working conditions,” they wrote in their statement.
A union representing engine drivers at Hellenic Train had also announced a 24-hour strike for Thursday, Oct. 10, but it was struck down in court and did not occur.
Demands then included upgrading safety measures, including the immediate implementation across the network of a remote control and light signaling system (ETCS); the completion of infrastructure works; a better maintenance of the railway network; keeping the railway network clear of materials, tree trunks and obstacles; and ensuring investments in new rolling stock with a focus on suburban lines.
Privately-owned railway Hellenic Train (formerly TrainOSE), a fully owned subsidiary of Italy’s FS, operates passenger and freight routes on railroad lines owned and managed by the state-run Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE).
Hellenic Train is expected to announce schedule changes and cancellations due to the stoppage.
