Greek firefighters gather in Athens: Jobs hanging by a thread
A large group of temp firefighters showed up at ministry building in Athens to fight for stable work positions. Their short-term work deals are ending today leaving thousands without jobs until next spring
In downtown Athens temp fire-workers made their voices heard at the Civil Protection Ministry building (wearing their work clothes and carrying national flags). About two-and-a-half thousand seasonal firefighters who helped tackle this years intense blazes are now jobless as their contracts run out today
The protest brought together hundreds of workers who came with noise-making tools: whistles aerosol horns and other items to get attention. These fire-workers who wear tan-and-red uniforms cant work again until 05/2025 when the next fire season starts; this leaves them without income for half-a-year
The current hire-and-fire system puts these essential workers in a tough spot — they need to wait months between contracts while fire risks dont follow a fixed schedule. The group wants year-round positions instead of temp ones which would give them job security and better working conditions
