Log in
A+ A A-

Tourism Minister: Garbage collector strike trashes Greece

Greece’s Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura called on garbage collectors across the country on Tuesday to put an end on their strike as it defames the country and risks endangering public health.

Kountoura urged unions to reconsider the nationwide strike, which was launched last week over a job dispute with the Greek government involving the rehiring of contract workers whose employment status has expired.

“The huge piles of garbage, combined with high temperatures, are creating health hazards for Greeks and for foreign visitors in our country,” the Tourism Minister stressed, adding that the Tourism Ministry has received a wave of complaints from Greek and foreign tourism associations and professionals.

“They call for immediate and drastic interventions to ensure the uninterrupted development of the tourism season and to prevent a blow to the image of the country on a global level,” Kountoura said.

Head of the union representing the garbage collectors Nikos Trikas insisted the  garbage strike will continue until Thursday as planned.

Weighing into the debate was the president of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels, Yiorgos Tsakiris, who expressed his disappointment with the situation.

“All of our guests and the citizens of this country would be happy if they could walk pleasantly in the city… Visitors will be happy if they could have a good standard of living in the destination where they have paid to visit,’’ said Tsakiris.

Meanwhile Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis said that the decision of the country’s municipal garbage collectors to continue industrial action was “inappropriate and excessive”, adding that the municipality of Athens will defend public health.

“We call on workers to return to their jobs. This is the only way they will they serve their mission and not come against society,”   Kaminis said in a statement.