Greeks demand pay rises, condemn Gaza war in May Day protest

ATHENS (Reuters) – Hundreds of Greek workers marched through central Athens on Wednesday to demand pay rises that would bring their salaries close to the European average and to protest over the war in Gaza.

Ships remained docked at Greek ports and buses and metro services in the capital were disrupted as transport workers joined a 24-hour strike called by Greece’s largest trade unions in the private and public sector for Labour Day.

Many of the demonstrators who had gathered peacefully outside the Greek parliament buildings held Palestinian flags and let balloons fly in the sky in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

“It was our duty not to forget that genocide as the (Labour) day calls,” said Marianna Tsagari, 48, who joined the demonstration.

Israel strongly denies accusations that its offensive in Gaza, which aims to destroy the Palestinian militant group Hamas after its attack on southern Israel, constitutes a genocide.

In Athens, protesters demanded pay rises that will make up for a series of wage slashes imposed by previous Greek governments as part of austerity measures in return for the international bailouts that kept Greece afloat during its 2008-2018 debt crisis.

Greece’s economy has been growing at nearly twice the euro zone rate in recent years and the country last year regained investment grade status after 13 years in the “junk” category.

As public finances have recovered, wages for state workers increased this year for the first time after 14 years and the Greek conservative government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis which was re-elected last June unveiled this week a plan for a performance-based bonus of up to 15% of annual salary from 2025.

State workers deplored the handouts, saying they were pittance which failed to make up for a cumulative 40% drop in their salaries over the decade-long meltdown, just as food and house expenses kept rising.