Municipal Workers To Strike Over Weekend Halting Garbage Collection

Municipal garbage collection services across Greece will be disrupted over the weekend of July 5 and 6, as workers employed by Local Government Organizations (OTA) go on strike. The nationwide work stoppage was announced by the Panhellenic Federation of Local Government Workers (POE-OTA), demanding safer working conditions and protection from increasing workplace violence.

Rising Workplace Accidents And Attacks Spark Protest

The decision to strike, unanimously approved by POE-OTA, comes in response to what the union describes as an alarming rise in workplace accidents and physical assaults against sanitation workers. In a statement, the federation noted that the move follows a surge in occupational accidents in the local government sector, as well as continued attacks by citizens against municipal staff while on duty.

Recent incidents include three separate assaults on sanitation workers in the municipality of Nikaia–Agios Ioannis Rentis during routine garbage collection operations. In another incident one month ago, workers in Athens were physically attacked by passengers in a passing vehicle.

A Growing List Of Victims

POE-OTA highlighted the severity of the situation, stating that the list of those killed while on duty continues to grow, as does the number of injuries and violent attacks by enraged individuals who treat local government personnel as punching bags.

Union representatives are calling on municipal authorities, government ministries, and regulatory bodies to take swift action to protect public sector workers. “It is the duty of municipal administrations, competent ministries, their inspection agencies, and the government as a whole to ensure the health and physical safety of employees in local government,” the statement concluded.

Source: tovima.com