On Wednesday, February 22, thousands of Tourism workers protested all over Greece demanding the implementation of their National Collective Contract, as well as unemployment benefits for all seasonal workers for the period after the tourist season.
In Athens the tourism unions organized a protest at the Ministry of Labor, where they were attacked violently by Riot Police forces, which also used tear gas against the workers. The violent attack resulted in head injury of PAME cadre Antonis Lakiaras, General Secretary of Athens Marriot Hotel Workersโ Union and Vice-President of WFTU TUI HOTOUR, who was hospitalized.
At the same time the police detained the PAME Secretariat Member and President of Athens Tourism-Hotel Workersโ Union, Giorgos Stefanakis, leader of the great struggle of the Efood delivery workers, and Nikos Lavantsiotis President of the Select Service Workersโ Union.
Immediately PAME called for mobilization in the Acropolis Police Station demanding the release of the unionists, who, under the pressure of thousands of protesters, were released.
The Union Hotel Workers Union of Athens stated
โIt is clear that the government has set out to violently break the unions and the workers who are fighting while it seeks through unprovoked arrests and intimidation to terrorize those who resist the plans of the government, hotel owners and big chains who want to turn workers into slaves in order to expand their profits.
We will not submit!”
PAME
