Strike is common for Greek unions, and these employee actions often affect airlines, taxis, trains, and ferries. If you don’t want strikes to interrupt your vacation in Greece, read on.
Why do the Greek unions go on strike so often?
Employees will generally say that it is the only way to get results from the government, whether it be by obtaining new benefits or higher wages or, more often, by striking to avoid some reduction in benefits or other changes that are not favorable to them. In reality, hitting in Greece has become a tradition. Rightly or wrongly, it is believed that the government will not listen to anything unless there is a strike, and the employees will not bother trying to negotiate a lot, as they are sure that it is the strike that will make the difference.
What is “strike season”?
Unfortunately, transport and other strikes in Greece often have the biggest impact on tourism, so the powers that be will be more motivated to listen to the demands of the employees. Most of these strikes will occur between June and September.
How to know when a strike will occur
Fortunately, since most Greek strikers want maximum attention, strikes will generally be announced a few days in advance. The online version of Kathimerini will often list the planned strikes for the rest of the week on Monday. Usually at least some of them will be canceled before they occur.
What You Can Do To Protect Your Vacation In Greece
Since strikes are unpredictable, it’s difficult to fully protect your Greek vacation plans. But in general, avoid extremely tight connections. It is a good idea to plan to return to Athens the day before your flight home if you have been traveling around the islands or the rest of Greece. This is good practice in any case, as the weather can sometimes affect flights or ferries. And consider purchasing travel insurance to help compensate you if you get caught in a strike that affects your travel.