A wave of strikes, work stoppages, rallies and marches is taking place across Greece today, Wednesday 21 October, as teachers, school pupils, university students, civil servants and healthcare workers step up their protests over pay, working conditions and the rising cost of living.

The main demonstration in Athens is scheduled for midday outside the University of Athens’ historic central building, known as the Propylaea, while public transport arrangements are also attracting attention.

Although no transport strikes have been announced in Athens, the city’s Panepistimio metro station is due to close at 10am. In Thessaloniki, five metro stations will temporarily shut from 9am.

Today’s demonstrations follow protests that began on Tuesday, when university students pitched tents in Athens’ Syntagma Square and in Thessaloniki, Patras and Ioannina to highlight the rising cost of studying and the housing crisis.

Demonstrators are demanding higher wages, permanent recruitment, greater investment in public education and healthcare, improved infrastructure and measures to tackle inflation. Student associations are also calling for urgent action to address soaring rents and the shortage of affordable accommodation.

The protests come amid a wider wave of social unrest across Europe, beginning in France, where similar grievances over education, housing and living costs have fuelled demonstrations.

How will the metro, buses, trolleybuses and trams operate today?

Public transport in Athens is expected to operate largely as normal on Wednesday, as no strikes or work stoppages have been announced by employees across the main networks.

The arrangements are as follows:

• Metro (Lines 2 and 3): Services are expected to run to their normal timetables, although Panepistimio station is scheduled to close at 10am.
• Electric railway (Line 1): No strike or work stoppage has been announced.
• Buses: Services are expected to operate normally, although delays and temporary diversions are possible in central Athens.
• Trolleybuses: No suspension of services is planned, but demonstrations may affect individual routes.
• Trams: Services are expected to run normally, subject to any emergency traffic arrangements.

Despite the absence of transport strikes, the gathering at the Propylaea and the subsequent march towards Parliament are likely to cause traffic disruption, particularly on roads around central Athens.

Any further changes to metro station operations will depend on decisions taken by the relevant authorities.

Passengers are advised to consult the Athens Urban Transport Organisation (OASA) and urban rail operator STASY for updates, while Hellenic Train is responsible for information on national rail services.

Thessaloniki: Five metro stations to close from 9am

The situation is different in Thessaloniki, where five metro stations will temporarily close from 9am following instructions from the police.

According to an announcement by metro operator THEMA, the affected stations are:

• Dimokratias
• Venizelou
• Agias Sofias
• Sintrivani
• Panepistimio

Trains will continue to pass through these stations without stopping to pick up or drop off passengers.

No reopening time has been announced, with further updates expected from the operator.

Who is striking today, and when?

Teachers at all levels, hospital doctors and civil servants are taking part in Wednesday’s industrial action, although the duration of strikes and work stoppages varies between sectors.

Primary school and nursery teachers: The Greek Primary Teachers’ Federation (DOE) has called a nationwide 24-hour strike.

Secondary school teachers: The Federation of Secondary School Teachers (OLME) has announced a work stoppage from 11am to 2pm, with local teachers’ unions encouraged to organise additional stoppages between 8am and 11am.

Hospital doctors: The Federation of Hospital Doctors’ Unions of Greece (OENGE) is holding a nationwide strike.

Civil servants: The Civil Servants’ Confederation (ADEDY) has called a work stoppage from 11am until the end of the working day to enable employees to participate in demonstrations.

School pupils, university student associations and parents supporting the education sector’s demands are also expected to attend.

Where and when will demonstrations take place?

The main rallies are scheduled at central locations in major cities.

City	Time	Meeting point
Athens	12 noon	Propylaea, University of Athens
Athens	12 noon	Ministry of Finance, hospital doctors’ rally
Thessaloniki	11.30am	Venizelos Statue
Patras	10.30am	Georgiou Square

In Athens, the city’s Student Coordinating Committee has called for a gathering at the Propylaea, followed by a march towards Parliament.

Among the slogans adopted by school pupils are “From Greece to France, people are rising up everywhere” and “From Greece to France, we are fighting for free public education”.

Additional demonstrations are planned in other cities, with local trade unions and student associations determining their meeting points.

What happens to schools and student absences?

The 24-hour primary teachers’ strike and work stoppages by secondary school teachers are expected to disrupt schools, although this does not mean every school will close.

In nurseries and primary schools, whether lessons take place will depend on how many teachers participate in the strike. If all teaching staff walk out, classes may be cancelled entirely. Otherwise, schools may operate with modified timetables.

In lower and upper secondary schools, disruption is expected primarily between 11am and 2pm, with possible additional changes from 8am where local teachers’ unions have approved further action.

After-school programmes may also be affected, potentially changing the time children are dismissed.

Parents are advised to contact their children’s schools directly for details.

Participation in a demonstration does not automatically justify a pupil’s absence from school. Where lessons take place as normal, standard attendance rules apply. However, where a lesson is cancelled because the teacher is on strike, the missed period is treated differently.

Teachers’ unions demand higher pay, recruitment and better school facilities

The two main teaching federations are playing a central role in the protests, with both demanding improvements in pay, staffing and funding.

The Primary Teachers’ Federation (DOE), which represents nursery and primary school teachers, has called a 24-hour strike for Wednesday 21 October.

In its announcement, the federation criticises low wages, inflation, teacher shortages, financial pressures on schools and inadequate infrastructure.

It also highlights increasing workloads and the difficulties teachers face in meeting pupils’ educational, psychological and emotional needs.

The federation argues that deteriorating working conditions directly undermine the quality of public education.

Its principal demands include:

• Substantial pay rises and decent living standards.
• Immediate recruitment to fill teaching vacancies.
• Adequate government funding for schools.
• Safe and suitable school buildings.
• Protection of free public education.
• Opposition to the commercialisation of education and evaluation systems that, it argues, categorise schools, teachers and pupils, including through the involvement of private organisations.

DOE has called on teachers to participate in large numbers, stressing that the action concerns not only their employment rights but also pupils’ educational needs.

The Federation of Secondary School Teachers (OLME) has similarly urged its members to join Wednesday’s demonstrations.

It has called a three-hour stoppage from 11am to 2pm, while encouraging local unions to organise additional action between 8am and 11am.

According to the federation, serious staff shortages remain several weeks after the start of the academic year.

It estimates that at least 15,000 teaching posts remain unfilled, demanding immediate recruitment, permanent employment and full employment rights for substitute teachers.

The union is also campaigning for smaller classes, proposing maximum numbers of:

• 20 pupils in general education classes.
• 15 pupils in specialist subject classes.
• 10 pupils in laboratory sessions.

OLME has called for demonstrations nationwide, with the main Athens rally scheduled for midday at the Propylaea.

Civil servants join education protests

(ADEDY) has called a nationwide work stoppage from 11am until the end of the working day on Wednesday 21 October.

The action covers public sector employees regardless of their employment arrangements and is intended to facilitate participation in the education demonstrations.

According to ADEDY, the aim is to reinforce demands for free public education and greater state support.

The confederation has urged civil servants to join teachers, university staff, students, school pupils and parents in calling for higher wages, stronger educational provision and safer school facilities.

School pupils protest over teacher shortages and education reforms

The Athens Student Coordinating Committee has called for nationwide action in defence of free public education.

Its campaign includes school assemblies, decisions on occupations and class boycotts, and marches organised jointly with university students and teachers.

Pupils have been urged to attend the midday demonstration at the Propylaea.

Their principal demands cover five areas.

1. Increased school funding

Pupils want sufficient resources to cover schools’ operating costs and improve educational conditions.

2. Inspections and repairs to school buildings

Building safety is among their principal concerns. They are demanding a coordinated programme of inspections and repairs to address structural problems.

3. Modern laboratories and sports facilities

Students are calling for educational infrastructure that meets modern teaching requirements, alongside adequate facilities for sport and school activities.

4. Additional academic support

They want supplementary teaching available in every subject for pupils who need it, arguing that educational inequalities deepen when extra support depends on a family’s ability to pay.

5. Protection for pupils taking part in protests

Student representatives oppose disciplinary measures and what they regard as excessive restrictions on collective action and freedom of expression.

Opposition to examination rules and university entry requirements

The protests have also revived opposition to Greece’s Question Bank examination system and the Minimum Admission Threshold for universities.

Education groups are demanding the abolition of both mechanisms, arguing that they increase inequalities.

The Question Bank is used in determining examination questions in secondary education, while the Minimum Admission Threshold sets a minimum performance requirement for entry into higher education.

Protest organisers argue that the systems place additional pressure on students and disadvantage those without access to sufficient educational support.

University students highlight soaring rents and living costs

Student housing has become another central issue in the two-day mobilisation, with university students already staging demonstrations in Athens and other cities.

For students attending university away from their family homes, accommodation costs represent a particularly heavy burden.

Rents, combined with food, transport, educational materials and everyday living expenses, can place considerable pressure on household budgets.

Student associations are calling for immediate measures to make accommodation more affordable and reduce the financial burden of higher education.

Teachers demand 20% pay rise and restoration of extra salaries

Pay and purchasing power feature prominently in teachers’ demands, with unions arguing that rising living costs have substantially reduced the value of their earnings.

Their demands include:

• A 20% pay increase.
• Restoration of the 13th and 14th monthly salaries, the additional annual payments previously available to public sector employees.
• Housing assistance for teachers posted away from their permanent homes.
• Free transport to and from work.
• Secure employment and full rights for substitute teachers.
• Substantial increases in funding for schools.

Particular attention is being paid to teachers assigned to areas far from their families, where rent and travel expenses can consume a significant proportion of their income.

School safety and infrastructure remain major concerns

The condition of school buildings is another shared concern among teachers and pupils.

The issue has become particularly pressing this year because of continuing problems at the Grava school complex in Athens, where pupils are still receiving lessons remotely.

Teachers’ unions are demanding increased funding for the maintenance and improvement of educational facilities, while pupils are calling for systematic inspections and repairs.

Beyond structural safety, campaigners want better classrooms, modern laboratories, sports facilities and other infrastructure necessary for contemporary education.

Their demands include raising public spending on education to 5% of GDP.

All-day schools and school meals

Teachers are also raising concerns about the operation of all-day schools and the provision of meals.

They want sufficient staffing and resources to ensure extended school programmes operate without interruption.

School meals are regarded as an important measure for supporting families and pupils, particularly as household budgets remain under pressure.

Disputes over teacher assessments and employment rights

Teaching unions are also challenging aspects of the government’s teacher evaluation policies and their consequences for employment conditions.

DOE argues that the current approach risks categorising schools, teachers and pupils, while contributing to the commercialisation of public education.

Union demands also include an end to disciplinary and legal proceedings connected with trade union activity and the exercise of the right to strike.

Hospital doctors launch nationwide strike

Alongside the education protests, hospital doctors are holding a nationwide strike following a decision by the Federation of Hospital Doctors’ Unions of Greece (OENGE).

Their principal demands include doubling take-home pay, restoring the 13th and 14th monthly salaries, removing the 12% cap on additional on-call duties and recruiting large numbers of permanent staff.

The federation is also calling for stronger public healthcare provision and improved working conditions, highlighting persistent staff shortages in hospitals.

Hospital doctors are due to gather outside the Ministry of Finance in Athens at midday.

Their participation, alongside the work stoppage by civil servants, extends Wednesday’s protests beyond education into a broader campaign for higher pay, increased staffing and stronger public services.