ATHENS—The Greeks have their own way of dealing with economic setbacks: they strike. This week, those working in the public transport sector joined the strikes that have been going on for months now. Although they strike the whole workweek, from Monday to Friday, Greeks will take the weekend off from striking.
The tough economic situation in Greece is discussed on almost every street corner in Athens, with frustration hanging in the air. To the chattering masses, it appears that the average Greek can’t do much about the mounting 300 billion euro debt (US$414 billion) that looms over the Greek economy—but they do feel it.
Salaries in the public sector have been drastically cut while taxes have increased. With an average salary of $900 per month, most of that, around $500 in Athens, goes to rent.
In the transportation sector, the strike isn’t just about layoffs and salary cuts, it’s about the fact that there has been a 40 percent increase in the cost of public transport. One Greek lady jokingly told me that Greeks will have to take out a new loan, “a strike loan,” to be able to pay for the taxis they need to take to get to work now.
But real loans for houses are becoming scarcer now. Once an attainable dream for many Greeks, it’s not the case anymore as both the people and the banks are unsure whether the bank will still be standing a year from now, or whether those applying for loans will be able to pay them off.
While passing the train station recently, I heard a female public transport worker telling an elderly lady, “Go home grandma and stay at home because there won’t be any transportation these days.” I saw a look come across the grandma’s face, which at the same time showed frustration, acceptance, and cursing toward the protesters for preventing people from getting around and doing their jobs.
The weird thing is, the expression conveyed by that grandma’s face, seems very normal now, at this period of time in Greece.
Reading a European newspaper, I saw a headline that said, “Greeks are taking drugs if they think they are going to pay off the debt”—not very friendly. But it might have hit a point. While people in neighboring Turkey decided to solve their economic problems by working longer hours, we just protest at the slightest mention of budget cuts.
Maybe it’s time to find another way to solve our problems? Maybe it’s time for us to change our way of thinking?
