Public transportation joining national strike, stoppages on Wed, Oct 1

Public transportation will join the 24-hour national strike of GSEE and ADEDY labor federations on Wednesday (Oct. 1), they announced on Friday.

• Specifically, buses will run from 09:00 to 21:00 due to work stoppages (from the start of schedule to 09:00, then from 21:00 to the end of schedule). Trolleys will follow the same stoppage schedule as well.

Buses on lines that have been contracted out to the Consortium of Athens Transport (e.g. KTEL buses) will not be affected.

• Metro Lines 2 and 3 (red, blue lines) and Line 1 (electric train) as well as the tram will operate from 09:00 to 17:00, to help strikers and protesters attend rallies. Additional announcements however are expected from unions, related to both metro and tram lines.
• Trains will also join the 24-hour strike, the National Federation of Railroad Staff announced. Hellenic Train is expected to issue announcements on cancellations and amended schedules for all trains and the urban train (proastiakos), as well as the possibility of operating with a skeleton staff.
• Taxis will participate with a 24-hour strike as well.
• Air traffic controllers will participate in the strike, pending court decisions after the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority resorted to the courts for cancellation of the decision. Only few flights will be exempted, including those carrying state leaders, Hellenic Air Force flights, and and emergency ones (including medical, humanitarian, and search & rescue missions).

Unions said they were striking for safe transportation, collective labor agreements, and over the new labor bill's provisions allowing 13-hour work days.