Once again, tens of thousands of people in Greece responded to a general strike call, escalating demands for justice for the 57 people killed in the Tempi train crash two years ago and protesting the austerity policies that contributed to the tragedy. From the early hours of April 9, workers staged actions in their workplaces while rallies converged on the streets of dozens of cities.
The new general strike followed weeks of protests and widespread industrial action. Since the end of February – marking the anniversary of the crash – trade unions, students, and the broader public have been mobilizing to demand accountability from state officials and corporate representatives. Protesters insist that the Tempi tragedy was a direct result of railway privatization and the subsequent underinvestment in infrastructure.
Demands to stop austerity
Since the lead-up to the first strike on February 28, labor activists have focused on strengthening the workers’ movement to spearhead the broader struggle against the government’s anti-people policies and the mainstream political parties that support them. The All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) emphasized the importance of the April 9 strike in this process, describing it as part of a broader effort to build a movement “that does not settle for crumbs, that does not get trapped in parliamentary illusions, and that does not become complacent with the logic of the lesser evil.”
Read more: Two years after Tempi train crash, workers shut down Greece in general strike
In addition to demanding accountability for the Tempi disaster, protesters are calling for an end to decades of austerity measures that have affected all aspects of society. Key demands include addressing inflation, reversing wage stagnation, and implementing labor reforms to curb worker exploitation. Recently, unions criticized the New Democracy government for passing new regulations that reduce employer contributions for overtime and night work, enabling them to benefit from even cheaper labor.
Protesters have also called for the revitalization of essential services such as education and healthcare. Both sectors have become less accessible to the working class, with health workers warning of a growing crisis driven by underfunding and overwork as posts around the country remain vacant. Overall life security in Greece has declined to unprecedented levels, a trend made worse by the government’s full embrace of the European Union’s push for militarization. As part of this trend, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis recently announced €25 billion spending plans for so-called defense over the next 12 years.
Workers speak out against complicity in US and NATO wars
Meanwhile, Greece’s infrastructure is already being used to transport large quantities of ammunition and weapons. “US-NATO trains pass through populated areas, carrying ammunition constantly through towns and villages, without any protection or safety measures, literally behind the backs of the people,” PAME stated. These shipments include “tons of ammunition and TNT for Ukraine and bullets for Israel,” endangering thousands of lives.
Greek workers had previously mobilized against the use of local logistics hubs for arms deliveries to Israel, demanding “Greece out of the slaughterhouses of war.” One of the most high-profile actions took place at the Port of Piraeus, where dockworkers blocked a shipment of bullets in late 2024. Building on these successful mobilizations, PAME has pledged to continue resisting policies and entities that demand ever greater sacrifices from the people.
The next step in this growing resistance will be a mass mobilization on May 1, where workers and the broader public will once again raise their voices for a more humane society. “The spirits have risen, the workers are speaking,” PAME declared in the lead-up to the strike. The wave of protests that began in late February, they said, “shows in practice the strength of a working class that takes to the streets.”
