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Victoria Mindova

This week again Athens has remained without the underground and electric train due to the strike of public transport workers to which tramway workers joined a little later.

The management of STASI S.A., which is under the control of the Ministry of Economy and Transport and manages the underground, the city train and the tramways, took action immediately. It filed a claim in the court to declare the strike of workers on Monday illegal and demanded its suspension despite the insistence of trade unions. The reasons for the illegality of the strike are related to the fact that the trade union failed to comply with the procedure and terms for the announcement of the protest.

"We expected that the government would take similar measures, but this will not make us give up our right to strike," the chairman of the union of drivers in the Athens underground told GRReporter. The main reason for yet another protest of public transport workers is the introduction of the payroll table for the calculation of their salaries. This will lead to a substantial reduction in their income, which they refuse to accept.

After the court announced its judgment, the management of STASI S.A. urged the workers not to continue the strike and to return to work. "We urge the workers to observe the law, show commitment to the difficulties of the people, take into account the financial damage that the strike is causing and return to work."

The call of the owning company was a voice in the wilderness and the efforts of the government - a Pyrrhic victory. They have not calmed down the strike unrest but intensified it. After the court declared the strike on Monday illegal, the trade unionists of all public transport means decided to join forces by announcing a four-hour strike on Tuesday, which will leave the capital without underground and surface transport.

The underground will not be operating for 24 hours again. The city train and trams will not be running between 12 and 4 pm. Trolley buses will not be operating between 11 am and 4 pm whereas buses will remain in the garages between 11 am and 5 pm. At the time of the strike, unionists from all trade unions will gather to discuss the plans for future actions. It seems that the drivers of buses and trolley buses as well as those of underground trains and trams will not agree to the new cuts that will come with the introduction of the payroll table for the public sector and they will try to continue their actions.

The government, in turn, refuses to abandon its positions. Minister of Economy, Development and Transport Kostas Hatzidakis refuses to agree and to abolish the cuts of the salaries of the public transport workers. Greece's obligation under the Memorandum of financial aid is to reduce the public sector wages to levels that the budget can service and another important requirement is to equalize the wages in various sectors of public activity.

While tensions between public transport workers and the state are growing, the problems in the capital are increasing. Traffic jams on central thoroughfares in Athens are becoming more serious and the citizens are protesting. The strike has its supporters in society but the majority of residents and tourists find the protests contradictory and equivocal. They seem particularly challenging to the unemployed in Greece, who comment that in such difficult times for the country, it is unreasonable for some to claim to keep their salaries at levels known before the crisis.

Meanwhile, the deputy of New Democracy Kyriakos Mitsotakis raised a question to Minister Hatzidakis about whether there would be compensation for the people who use a monthly public transport card. It costs about 50 euro and is valid only for the calendar month. Since the beginning the year, the underground workers have held six 24-hour strikes. This means that the people who use a monthly card instead of tickets have lost 20% of the funds invested to travel by the public transport network. Mitsotakis requested an explanation of whether the state would be able to cover the damage for the individuals but there has been no official answer so far.