Labor group to protest death of worker in Piraeus, injury of another in Salamina
Members of the Piraeus Labor Center are planning a march on Tuesday in protest at two work-related accidents that took place on Monday that killed one man and sent another to hospital with serious injuries.
The main incident that sparked the backlash concerns a 27-year-old man who died after spending nearly three hours trapped under rocks and debris in a sewer pipe. The father of two had fallen down the 7-meter shaft into the pipe when a drain grate collapsed while he was carrying out anti-flood work in downtown Piraeus as part of a crew working for a private contractor hired by the municipal and regional authorities.
Earlier on Monday, another worker was injured at a shipyard in nearby Salamina while carrying out maintenance on a crane. The 51-year-old was rushed to hospital with multiple injuries when the crane collapsed under the weight of a test load.
In an announcement following the two accidents, the Piraeus Labor Center demanded stricter enforcement of workplace safety measures and protocols.
“We will no longer tolerate our lives coming second to profits,” it said.