An open-ended strike by producers and vendors at Greece’s open-air markets began Wednesday, as demonstrators gathered in central Athens outside the Ministry of Development and Finance.
The protest at Syntagma Square marked the start of continuing labor action by market professionals, who say rising costs and the current tax framework are harming both producers and sellers.
According to organizers, the key demands include the abolition of presumptive taxation, the repeal of the electronic shipping document, support through lower production costs and the withdrawal of additional taxation, and amendments to Law 4849/2021 governing the operation of open-air markets.
The strike decision was taken jointly by the Confederation of Open-Air Markets of Greece, the Pan-Attica Federation of Market Vendors’ Associations, the Panhellenic Federation of Producer-Vendors at Open-Air Markets, the Federation of Regional Open-Air Markets of Attica, and federations representing professional and producer-vendors nationwide.
In a statement, the confederation said the mobilization “is a one-way street,” arguing that despite producers and self-employed farmers offering their products at low prices, existing policies significantly increase costs at every stage of distribution.
The confederation said it stands “alongside farmers and agricultural mobilizations,” aligning the market strike with broader rural protests.