Train crash protests: Strikes bring much of Greece to a halt

Thousands of Greek workers went on strike on Wednesday over the deadly train crash that left 57 people dead.

Striking labor unions brought transport to a near-standstill, halting ferries to the islands and disrupting public transport.

Tens of thousands of people also gathered outside parliament around midday to participate in protests. Police said the number of participants across Athens, Thessaloniki and Patras was more than 50,000, according to AFP.

Subway services had run for a few hours to enable people to get to center of Athens for the demonstration.

The collision between a passenger train carrying more than 350 people and a freight train last week was one of Greece's deadliest rail accidents. The crash killed several university students and injured dozens of others.

Workers demand better safety conditions

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis's center-right government has come under fire for initially blaming the collision on human error, but the prime minister later issued an apology saying, "We cannot, will not, and must not hide behind human error."

Rail workers have been striking almost every day since the crash, saying their demands for improvement in safety protocols have gone unaddressed for years.

The Greek government has requested assistance from European governments to modernize safety procedures on the relatively limited rail network.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said experts from the European Union Agency for Railways would visit Greece. They are expected to arrive in Athens on Wednesday.

Bigger rallies expected midday

Greece's civil servants' union, Adady, has also called for a 24-hour walkout.

"We will impose safe railways so that no one will ever experience the tragic accident at Temp ever again," a major railway union said in a statement. "We have an obligation towards our fellow humans and our colleagues who were lost in the tragic accident."

Students and teachers' groups have said they will take part in rallies in Athens later today. 

"It's not the time to fall silent, it's time to speak up and fight," a teachers' union said in a statement.

Mitsotakis, who faces elections before the summer, has pledged full cooperation with a judicial inquiry into the deadly crash.

rm/sms (Reuters, AP, AFP)