Taxi strike: Three-day in Attica, two-day nationwide – When will they stop

Taxi drivers are moving forward with new protests, with drivers in Attica pulling their cars off the road for three days, while the rest of the country will see a two-day strike.

Specifically, in its announcement, S.A.T.A. stated that a three-day strike will occur in Attica on Tuesday (17/02), Wednesday (18/02), and Thursday (19/02). A nationwide strike will take place on Wednesday (18/02) and Thursday (19/02).

“The S.A.T.A. presidency has decided to support the actions announced by the Federation yesterday, in a cooperative two-day strike, which we will maintain. Attica will strike on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, with specific actions. On Tuesday, we will start a motorcade towards Spyrou Patsi to the Ministry of Transport, with a gathering at 10:30 AM. The next day, we will start from Agias Annas towards the government headquarters, and on the third day, we will hold the largest possible gathering, where we will go again to the Prime Minister’s office to protest,” said S.A.T.A. president, Thymios Lymberopoulos. Specifically, the strike in Attica begins at 6:00 AM on Tuesday and will end at 6:00 AM on Friday.

S.A.T.A.’s main demands:

• Extension of the mandatory transition of taxis to electric vehicles.
• Immediate withdrawal of Article 52 from the amending bill, which severely impacts the industry. All the provisions in it disproportionately favor rental cars with drivers (E.I.H.).
• Introduction of a general-use criminal record for issuing or renewing taxi driving licenses.

Earlier, the Federation of Taxis announced its decision to hold a two-day nationwide strike on Wednesday and Thursday, February 18 and 19. As stated:

“On Sunday, February 15, a Sectoral Council was held in Athens, with the participation of most unions and radio taxis from across the country.

The presidency of the Federation requested, as stipulated by its constitution, due to the seriousness of the issues and especially regarding the legislative process of the amending bill by the Ministry of Transport, the convening of the council to provide a strong opinion on further actions and protests by the sector.

In a very united atmosphere, with sector representatives from all over the country reacting to specific articles of the bill, it was unanimously decided to intensify the industry’s struggle through decisions by the Federation, with local management of actions by each union, until the desired outcome is achieved. Specifically:

A 48-hour nationwide strike was decided for Wednesday and Thursday, February 18 & 19, with targeted actions in each area.

Through regular meetings, the Federation’s Board will decide further actions depending on the progress of the bill’s procedures, with a culmination of reactions and protests as the bill is debated in the parliamentary committees and finalized during the voting days.

We demand:

Extension of the obligation for electric vehicles in Athens and Thessaloniki.

Abolition of Article 52 and the provisions that mandate reducing the minimum fare for cars with drivers and the removal of their return to base; we demand the inclusion of pre-booking for island areas as well.

A change in the criminal record from judicial to general use.

The Federation’s leadership has received a strong mandate from all unions and radio taxis across the country to fight for the sector’s legitimate demands until the desired results are achieved.”