Greece is facing a nationwide strike today, Wednesday, October 21, as teachers, pupils, university students, hospital doctors and public sector workers take to the streets with strikes, work stoppages and rallies in Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras and other major cities.
Teachers, pupils, university students, hospital doctors and public sector workers are taking to the streets across Greece today, Wednesday, October 21, with strikes, work stoppages and rallies in Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras and other major cities.
Protesters are calling for pay rises, permanent hiring, stronger public education and health services, and action on the cost of living and the housing crisis.
Athens: Panepistimio station closed, the rest of transport running
The focus in the capital is Propylaia, where a nationwide education rally starts at 12:00, followed by a march to Parliament. Panepistimio metro station will close from 10:00. No transport unions have announced strike action, so the rest of the network is expected to run normally:
- Metro (Lines 2 and 3): normal timetable.
- ISAP (Line 1): no strike or stoppage announced.
- Buses: normal service, with possible delays or diversions in central Athens.
- Trolleybuses: no stoppage planned, though some routes may be affected.
- Tram: normal service, subject to any emergency traffic measures.
Heavy traffic is expected around the city centre during the rally and march, and further station closures may be ordered by the authorities. Passengers should check OASA and STASY for updates, and Hellenic Train for rail services.
Thessaloniki: Five metro stations shut from 09:00
On police orders, Thessaloniki Metro operator THEMA has suspended service at five stations from 09:00: Dimokratias, Venizelou, Agia Sofia, Syntrivani and Panepistimio. Trains will pass through these stations without stopping. No reopening time has been announced.
Who is striking and when
- Primary teachers and kindergarten teachers: the Greek Teachers’ Federation (DOE) has called a 24-hour nationwide strike.
- Secondary teachers: OLME is holding a work stoppage from 11:00 to 14:00 and has urged local unions (ELMEs) to add stoppages from 08:00 to 11:00.
- Hospital doctors: the Federation of Hospital Doctors’ Associations of Greece (OENGE) is on a nationwide strike.
- Civil servants: ADEDY has called a work stoppage from 11:00 until the end of the working day so staff can join the rallies.
Student associations and parents supporting the education community are also taking part.
Where and when the rallies are
- Athens, 12:00, Propylaia
- Athens, 12:00, Ministry of Finance (OENGE doctors)
- Thessaloniki, 11:30, Venizelos Statue
- Patras, 10:30, Georgiou Square
Under the banner “From Greece to France, we are fighting for public and free education,” the Athens Student Coordinating Committee has called for a march from Propylaia to Parliament. Local unions and student groups are organising parallel gatherings in other cities.
From tents in Syntagma to today’s strikes
Today’s action follows Tuesday’s protests, when students pitched tents in Syntagma, Thessaloniki, Patras and Ioannina to highlight rising study costs and a housing crisis that is putting affordable accommodation out of reach. The protests come amid wider social unrest in Europe, most notably mass demonstrations in France over living costs, housing and public education.
What it means for schools
Not every school will close. In kindergartens and primary schools, whether classes go ahead depends on how many teachers strike. If all staff walk out, lessons may be cancelled; otherwise the timetable may change. In secondary schools, disruption is mainly expected between 11:00 and 14:00, and possibly from 08:00 where local unions have called extra stoppages. All-day programmes and pick-up times may also change, so parents should check with their school.
Joining a rally does not automatically excuse a pupil’s absence. If a lesson goes ahead, normal attendance rules apply. Hours lost because teachers are on strike are treated differently.
What teachers are demanding
The DOE is protesting low pay, unfilled teaching posts, underfunded schools and poor infrastructure, as well as a growing workload that makes it harder to meet pupils’ learning and emotional needs. Its demands include:
- Real pay rises, with a call for 20%, and reinstatement of the 13th and 14th salaries.
- Immediate filling of teaching vacancies, and permanent jobs and full rights for substitute teachers.
- Proper state funding and safe buildings for schools.
- Housing support and free travel for teachers posted far from home.
- An end to the commercialisation of education and to evaluation schemes that rank schools, pupils and teachers.
- An end to prosecutions over union activity and the right to strike.
OLME says that weeks into the school year at least 15,000 teaching posts remain unfilled. It is calling for caps of 20 pupils per class in general education, 15 in orientation groups and 10 in workshops. Both federations want public spending on education raised to 5% of GDP, along with support for all-day schools and free school meals.
What students are demanding
The Athens Student Coordinating Committee is calling for:
- More funding for schools’ running costs.
- Inspections and repairs of school buildings, an issue made urgent by the Grava school complex, whose pupils are still learning remotely.
- Modern laboratories and sports facilities.
- Free remedial teaching in all subjects, so extra help doesn’t depend on what families can afford.
- An end to expulsions and disciplinary measures against students who protest.
Students and teachers are also calling for the abolition of the national Question Bank, which is used to set secondary school exams, and the Minimum Entry Threshold for university admission, arguing that both deepen educational inequality. For students studying away from home, rent on top of food, transport and study costs has become an unbearable burden for many families.
Doctors demand double pay and mass hiring
Hospital doctors are striking alongside the education sector. OENGE is demanding that net salaries be doubled, the 13th and 14th salaries be restored, the 12% cap on paid extra on-call shifts be scrapped, and permanent staff be hired in large numbers to tackle hospital shortages. Doctors are rallying outside the Ministry of Finance in Athens at 12:00.
With healthcare workers and public servants joining in, today’s protest has grown beyond education into a broader call for higher wages and stronger public services.
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