May 20 Greek Strike

[TLCOhio]

From the Reuters newswire, they have this headline: "Greek workers call one-day strike May 20" with these highlights: "Greek workers on Wednesday called a 24-hour general strike for May 20, the latest in a series of protests against planned pension cuts linked to an international 110-billion-euro ($139.7 billion) bailout for Greece. Unionists have vowed to stop the pension reform, a key condition in a financial rescue plan for Greece agreed last week with the euro zone and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The walkout is expected to ground flights to and from Greece, disrupt transport and shut down ministries and public services across the country. The unions will convene after the strike to decide on future action."

 

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE64B18U20100512?type=marketsNews

 

THANKS! Terry in Ohio

[pmc7704]

Do you think they will shut down the tourist attractions, such as the Acropolis ? Because of course, that's the day that we'll be in Athens :(

[TLCOhio]

Do you think they will shut down the tourist attractions, such as the Acropolis ? Because of course, that's the day that we'll be in Athens :(

 

Good question, Pat! I think that the honest answer, right now, is that nobody knows for certain. In re-checking all of the news stories within the past few hours, the best details are that the strike will "cause flight cancellations and cripple other forms of public transportation, as well as disrupt public services across the country."

 

The key word is "public". As an earlier posters experienced in Athens noted, most of this strike is about public employees, not private-sector folks. Things will probably be fairly "normal" in the Plaka. I would be considering some back-up plans and options. By early next week, there will be more information available.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

[abc2media]

Your best bet is to follow the Trip Advisor threads on the subject. There are quite a few residents and frequent travelers who do a great job of providing updates and advice. From what I have read, the public tourist sites are all closed on a general strike day - some of the private museums may be open. But there are still things to do if there is a strike. Here is a link to a thread on just this topic:

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g189400-i194-k3624002-What_to_do_in_Athens_during_strike_on_20_May-Athens_Attica.html

 

Also you would probably want to reserve a private taxi service for that day as the metro may be on strike and taxis may be difficult to come by. You can search this site and trip advisor for recommendations.

 

We are flying into Athens on June 10 to start our cruise and are hoping for the best. Sounds like you will have some disappointment if the 20th is your only port day in Athens but hopefully it won't be a total loss for you. Previous posters also suggested there was a slowdown exiting and re-entering the port on the last strike day so you need to keep that in mind as well.

[Vrilissia]

The General Strike on May 20th will (unfortunately) include the Major Sites of Athens being closed! because the workers there are Government employees.

 

Having said that you can still see most attractions like The Acropolis from quite close by, excellent photo-op from Dionysos restaurant opposite the Acropolis. And there are many other places to visit in and around Athens. Though public transport will also be affected so it may be better to book a private taxi or minibus etc to be sure.

 

Also when there are demonstrations in Athens DO NOT pass a cordoned off area like Syntagma Square!

[cruisemom42]

It has just been posted on the Princess board that the Ruby Princess, which was scheduled to be in port in Piraeus on May 20, will now skip Athens entirely on that day. The ship will remain in Venice until 10 pm (the previous stop) and will sail straight through the next day to arrive in Kusadasi (the stop after Athens).

 

If you have arranged a private tour, you should contact them about cancelling.

 

Here is a link to the announcement on the Princess website:

 

http://www.princess.com/news/article.jsp?newsArticleId=na1102