Unions representing workers in all railways-related entities in Greece announced a 24-hour nationwide strike for Thursday, Sept. 26, in demand of the immediate hiring of new staff, the replacement of what they charged was outdated rolling stock with new ones as well as the completion of infrastructure projects and improvements in transportation safety throughout the country’s aging but paltry, compared to west European standards, network.
In an announcement, the unions said the industrial action was necessary, pointing to the disastrous Tempi train collision, which cost the lives of 57 people, including 11 rail employees, highlighted the long-standing problems that railway workers face and the neglect of the railway system by the state.
Furthermore, unions representing employees of private operator Hellenic Train, who had submitted a series of proposals for the safety of both staff and passengers four months ago, announced a suspension of industrial action in order to give the new management time to address these issues.
The unions’ announcement also claims that the government has admitted that railway projects and systems related to the safe transport of passengers and goods in Greece have been greatly delayed.
The rail network, stations and the operation of the system remains the domain of the state-run Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE), while railroad-related infrastructure projects are overseen by the equally state-run Ergose organization.
Hellenic Train is a private rail operator that emerged after Italy-based Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane S.p.A submitted the sole bid and acquired the previously state-run Trainose.
Human error has been blamed for putting two Hellenic Trains on the same line in a collision course on the ill-fated evening of Feb. 28, 2023 south of the narrow Tempi valley gorge in north-central Greece, with the initial findings pointing to an OSE station master at the Larissa hub as the source of the fatal error.
