There appears to be no end to the troubles of Athens commuters as endless strikes (on the metro, the ISAP railway and the tram), have all but paralyzed public transit for over a week.

Everyone knows that Greece is in a dire economic situation that leaves the coalition government with absolutely no room for giving in to the demands of unions, and this, of course, applies to all sectors.

The fact is that carrying on with the strikes – metro employees yesterday announced they will walk off the job for an eighth consecutive day today – is not going to solve any of the country’s problems. On the contrary, it will add to the strain being felt by citizens and by business professionals who are struggling to make ends meet in an extremely adverse economic environment.

Workers at public transport must face up to reality and a solution must be reached soon, or the social damage wreaked by these strikes will increase.