March underway in central Athens for May Day
A rally was underway in the centre of Athens to mark a belated May Day, which this year fell on Orthodox Easter weekend.
Labor unions and protesters gathered initially on Klafthmonos square holding placards with slogans such as “No to Medieval working conditions, hands off the 8-hour day,” before heading to Syntagma square.
Metro lines 1, 2 and 3, Athens trolleys and the trams will not operate throughout the day, due to a 24-hour strike declared by their labor unions.
Their employees appear determined to resist the government’s plans for “a return to Medieval working conditions” and say that they will fight to defend the public and social character of public transport. Athens buses, however, will operate normally.
Ships will stay docked in all the country’s ports on May 6, the Panhellenic Seamen’s Federation (PNO) announced. The seamen’s union also called for protection of collective labour agreements and current working hours in the sector, among other issues.
[ANA-MPA]
