Nationwide public sector strike in Greece 13 May

The news in Greek

1. εικοσιτετράωρος
   που διαρκεί είκοσι τέσσερις ώρες συνεχόμενα ↩︎
2. απεργία  (f.)
   όταν οι εργαζόμενοι σταματούν τη δουλειά τους για κάποιο διάστημα για να ζητήσουν δικαιώματα ή καλύτερες συνθήκες ↩︎
3. υπηρεσία  (f.)
   οργανωμένο τμήμα του δημοσίου ή ιδιωτικού τομέα που εξυπηρετεί τους πολίτες ↩︎
4. σύνταξη  (f.)
   χρήματα που παίρνει κάποιος τακτικά από το κράτος ή τα ταμεία όταν σταματά να εργάζεται λόγω ηλικίας ή υγείας ↩︎
5. συνθήκη  (f.)
   ο τρόπος και το περιβάλλον μέσα στο οποίο γίνεται κάτι, π.χ. η δουλειά ή η ζωή ↩︎
6. συγκέντρωση  (f.)
   μαζική συνάντηση πολλών ανθρώπων σε έναν χώρο, συνήθως για διαμαρτυρία ή ενημέρωση ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: Why will many public services in Greece be closed or have few workers on May 13?

Question 2: What problems might schools and public transport have on the day of the strike?

Vocabulary

Greek	English
εικοσιτετράωρος	twenty‑four‑hour
απεργία  (f.)	strike
υπηρεσία  (f.)	service / public service office
σύνταξη  (f.)	pension
συνθήκη  (f.)	conditions
συγκέντρωση  (f.)	(public) gathering / rally / demonstration

Read the full story

A nationwide 24-hour public sector strike has been announced in Greece for Wednesday 13 May, with trade union confederation ADEDY calling on public employees across the country to participate.

The mobilisation is expected to significantly disrupt public services, with many offices and departments likely to remain closed or operate with reduced staff. Union representatives say the strike aims to put pressure on the government over a series of economic and labour demands.

Key demands include the restoration of the 13th and 14th salary for public servants, which were cut during Greece’s financial crisis, as well as pay rises for wages and pensions to reflect the rising cost of living. Unions also call for better working conditions and stronger protection of labour rights.

Public employees have additionally voiced strong opposition to government reforms, including a proposed new disciplinary code and constitutional changes that, under certain conditions, could allow limits on the traditional job permanence (tenure) of civil servants. Union officials argue that such measures would weaken job security and undermine the independence of the public sector.

The strike will also involve teachers and other education staff. However, reports from Greek media suggest that schools are not expected to close completely. Instead, many schools are likely to face timetable changes, cancelled lessons and staffing gaps, depending on how many teachers in each institution join the strike.

There is uncertainty over the impact on public transport (Μέσα Μαζικής Μεταφοράς – MMM). At the time of the latest local reports, no final decisions had been announced by unions representing workers on the metro, suburban rail, tram, buses and trolleybuses. If transport employees decide not to join the mobilisation, services are expected to run normally. However, if they participate in the strike or hold work stoppages, passengers may face reduced timetables or temporary suspensions of certain routes.

Further announcements from transport unions are expected closer to the date of the strike, and authorities advise passengers to check for updates before travelling on 13 May.

The main ADEDY rally in Athens has been scheduled for 11:00 in Klafthmonos Square, in the city centre. Similar gatherings and demonstrations are anticipated in other major cities. Participating unions present the strike as part of a wider effort to reopen public debate on wages, social benefits and the post-crisis economic environment in Greece.

The Greek government had not, according to the available reports, issued detailed public comments on the strike’s demands at the time the articles were written. The overall impact on daily life will depend on the final level of participation, particularly in crucial sectors such as transport, education and core public services.

Info: ‘Greek Learner News’ is a service from ‘Let’s Learn Greek’, a language school dedicated to teaching Modern Greek through various types of online Greek courses for different levels and interests, designed for those who wish to learn to speak Greek.