Taxi drivers to begin an indefinite strike from Tuesday

Taxi drivers across Greece are proceeding with a nationwide indefinite strike starting tomorrow, Tuesday (17/3), at 6:00 in the morning, as announced by Thymios Lymberopoulos speaking to Parapolitika 90.1.

“There is disappointment, there is anger towards the government whose goal is to serve private interests, so that they can take our work away, at the expense of the sector — the definition of collusion in politics,” states the president of SATA.

Subsequently, Mr Lymberopoulos announced mobilisations during the tourist season as well: “We will strike until the vote, then we will have major struggles especially during the tourist season.”

Asked whether they intend to block airports, he replied: “What else can we do when the state essentially legislates the abolition of public transport and gives it to private interests? What else can the taxi driver, the professional, do when they steal his work, when they impose operating terms that are unacceptable, fascistic, and want to call it democracy.”

Regarding their demands and the reasons they strongly oppose the bill, he said: “Article 52 essentially liberalises the operation of private cars and levels public transport, secondly the fascistic law on electrification forces us from 2026 — whenever cars change or when a licence is issued or a name change takes place — that it must be an electric car. What is dirtier, what is more fascistic in order to serve private interests once again?”

He was then asked whether a meeting of the board of directors is scheduled, and said it will take place today at 10:00 in the morning, while he added that the strike will begin tomorrow morning at 6:00.

Asked how long the strike will last, he replied: “It will last until the law is voted.”

When asked about the duration of the strike and whether the sector can endure it, since up to 10 days may pass before the bill is voted on, Mr Lymberopoulos noted: “Whether it can endure it or not, it will do it; it cannot do otherwise.”