General strike in Greece: Wages and safety

Thessaloniki, Greece

Two years ago there was a catastrophic accident on the railroad line that links Athens, the largest city in Greece, and Thessaloniki, the second-largest city in Greece. A freight train, carrying a large amount of an unknown but highly volatile liquid, collided with a passenger train carrying a number of students.

Of the 57 fatalities, about half of the people were killed by the impact of the collision. Others, who survived the initial impact, could be heard screaming as they were burned to death in an unusually intense fire from the flammable liquid that was carried on the freight train.

The fireball, which reduced most of the bodies to ashes, was well-documented.  Most Greek people interviewed believe the government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is trying to cover up its involvement in this catastrophe. There are suspicions that the freight train’s cargo was to be used in the war in Ukraine.

The issue of the catastrophe is still very much alive. As part of the general strike on April 9, there were big demonstrations in every Greek city; this issue was raised as exemplifying the way the government mistreats passengers and students on the government-owned railway.

The general strike, driven by concerns about wages and living costs, was a significant event, resulting in widespread disruptions to public transport and highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by Greek workers.

The Greek Communist Party (KKE) took these slogans further. Its signs and banners read: “Today all over Greece our people are shouting loudly, ‘No sacrifices for the profits of the few, their war economy and tariffs.’”