Greece: Transport Staff Strike on Train Crash Anniversary

Facts

• Tens of thousands of Greek transportation workers went on strike on Wednesday, seeking better pay and working conditions, in commemoration of the first anniversary of the country’s deadliest train crash on record, in which 57 people were killed in the city of Tempi.¹
• While trains, ferries, taxis, and the metro experienced major disruptions due to the 24-hour strike, at least 20K people protested on the streets of Athens, and another 10K demonstrated in the northern city of Thessaloniki.²
• The strikes brought public transport to a standstill in Athens and left ferries tied up in ports as unions protested wage controls implemented since Greece’s financial crisis. However, flights ran as scheduled after a court ruled that air traffic controllers couldn’t take industrial action.³
• Protesters also requested a 10% unilateral raise and increased hiring, claiming that recent pay increases — the first public sector raises in 14 years — don’t sufficiently offset the rising cost of living.⁴
• Many protestors, including students, accused the government of not doing enough to prevent last year’s tragedy in which a Thessaloniki-bound train heading from Athens collided with a freight train at high speed.⁴
• Many of the victims of the head-on collision on Feb. 28, 2023 — blamed by protesters on an unsafe transit system — were students. Investigators will conclude questioning for their official inquiry into the crash on March 8 and are set to deliver a definitive account of the tragedy.⁵

Sources: ¹ABC News, ²Al Jazeera, ³Associated Press, ⁴Nasdaq and ⁵France 24.

Narratives

• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Euro Topics. One year after Greece’s deadliest transit crash, we are no closer to justice for the victims and their families. Greek politicians and officials ignored cries to fix a broken transportation system for decades. However, they did little to improve safety until last year’s tragedy that killed 57 and injured dozens more. In addition to their failure to deliver swift justice regarding the Tempi crash, government officials have neglected public sector workers who require a legitimate pay raise. Protesters are justified in demonstrating, and the Greek people deserve more accountability from their leaders.
• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by BNN. The Tempi train collision shook Greece to its core, leaving the nation grieving. The pain and anger of the victims and their families is 100% understandable, and everyone is demanding answers. The Greek justice system is doing all it can to get to the bottom of last year’s tragedy and deliver a definitive account to the people. The investigation goes beyond discovery and looks to deliver justice and accountability. There’s no way to undo the destruction of the crash, but the Greek government will do everything in its power to bring about justice and reconciliation.