On 28 February 2025, hundreds of thousands of Greek workers are staging a nationwide strike to honour the victims of the Tempi rail disaster and demand justice, accountability, and urgent safety measures across the transport sector. Led by the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE) and supported by ETF affiliates, the strike marks the second anniversary of the tragic accident that claimed 57 lives in 2023 — the worst rail disaster in Greece’s history.
An inquiry found on Thursday that two years after the crash, the safety gaps that caused it have not been filled. A separate judicial investigation remains unfinished, and despite civil society’s unrest, there have been no political consequences.
Mass demonstrations are happening in dozens of cities across the country and internationally. Transport workers like air traffic controllers, seafarers and train drivers joined doctors, lawyers and teachers in a 24-hour general strike to pay tribute to the victims of the crash.
Workers condemn the government’s failure to take political responsibility for the disaster and the lack of substantial safety improvements in its aftermath. The ETF claims that the critical state of Greece’s railways is part of a broader pattern of chronic underinvestment in rail infrastructure, both in Greece and other parts of Europe. While political discourse often focuses on high-speed rail and lowering prices, the Tempi disaster remains a stark reminder that essential safety investments are still dangerously neglected.
ETF stands in full solidarity with its affiliates of the Panhellenic Federation of Railway workers and the Panhellenic Seamen’s Federation and all the Greek transport workers in their fight for justice. This strike is more than a national issue — it is a wake-up call for Europe. Policymakers at both national and EU levels must confront the reality of today’s railways and commit to prioritising safety, and modernisation through public investment. No worker should fear for their life at work, and no passenger should question their safety while travelling.
Together, we demand a transport system that puts safety first — because every worker and passenger deserve to travel with dignity and without fear.
