Tags: Greece | recession | unemployment | layoffs

Greek Civil Aviation Workers Call Strike Against Layoffs

Friday, 02 August 2013 01:30 PM EDT

Greek civil aviation workers plan to disrupt flights for three days next week in protest at government plans to fire 300 airport staff, their union said on Friday.

Greek labor unions have gone on strike repeatedly since early 2010, when the country was plunged into a debt crisis and sought a bailout from the European Union and International Monetary Fund to avert bankruptcy.

The latest action, at the height of the tourist season, is against Athens's plans to shrink its spendthrift civil service, widely blamed for the crisis, by firing thousands of workers.

The union representing the workers, OSYPA, plans to stage 24-hour rolling strikes on Aug. 9-11.

Greece relies heavily on tourism to help pull it out of a deep recession, but the strike will mostly affect smaller airports.

Traffic at major Greek airports is not expected to be disrupted because air traffic controllers are not participating.

Plans to fire the workers were "illegal, unconstitutional and beyond reason," OSYPA said. In the past, Greek courts have ruled strikes affecting tourism illegal, forcing workers to call them off.

Firing public sector workers as part of measures Athens promised its lenders in return for billions of euros in aid is an incendiary issue in Greece, which is stuck in a sixth year of a recession that has pushed unemployment to a record 27 percent, twice the eurozone average.

© 2026 Thomson/Reuters. All rights reserved.


Markets
Greek civil aviation workers plan to disrupt flights for three days next week in protest at government plans to fire 300 airport staff, their union said on Friday.
Greece,recession,unemployment,layoffs
227
2013-30-02
Friday, 02 August 2013 01:30 PM
Newsmax Media, Inc.

Sign up for Newsmax’s Daily Newsletter

Receive breaking news and original analysis - sent right to your inbox.

(Optional for Local News)
Privacy: We never share your email address.
Join the Newsmax Community
Read and Post Comments
Please review Community Guidelines before posting a comment.
 
Get Newsmax Text Alerts
TOP

Newsmax, Moneynews, Newsmax Health, and Independent. American. are registered trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. Newsmax TV, and Newsmax World are trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc.

NEWSMAX.COM
MONEYNEWS.COM
© Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
NEWSMAX.COM
MONEYNEWS.COM
© Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved