121 Posts in City Life

Inspired by the Athenian Agora, the new public library offers print and digital content that can be enjoyed on-site. Its collection includes books in other languages apart from Greek and will soon include audiobooks and books for people with reading disabilities.               To use the Athens Book Space, guests must display a valid identity card, passport or driving license. Eleftherias Park, 11521

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' government says the overhaul would eliminate undeclared work and boost employment overall, but labour unions and the opposition says it is an assault on workers' rights and would create barbaric conditions. The one-day nationwide strike called by Greece's largest public sector union ADEDY is the first walkout since the Mitsotakis government's re-election for a second term. Trains and buses ran a reduced service, state hospitals operated with emergency staffing and many schools closed. The protesters marched to parliament, where lawmakers were debating the planned changes, which are expected to be passed this week. Mitotakis's government has 158 lawmakers in the 300-seat parliament. "We demand the bill's withdrawal," ADEDY, which represents about half a million workers, said on its website. The bill would allow full-time employees to get a part-time second job and work up to 13 hours a day unless certain terms apply, such as a conflict of interest. It also enables employers to implement a six-day working week. "It leaves open the door for us to work as many as 13 hours (a day), and until we are 74," said Lambrini Christoyanni, president of the union representing agriculture ministry employees. "It also puts an end to demands by workers of wage increases - increases that they deserve." According to the bill, an employee can be fired within the first year of work without warning or remuneration, unless agreed otherwise. It allows a probation period of up to six months, but also obliges employers to provide detailed terms of work. Employers face a fine up to 10,500 euros ($11,175) if they fail to declare an employee's extension of working hours or change of shifts. The bill also introduces fines and a six-month jail term against those who obstruct employees from working during a strike. Lawmakers with the main opposition, the Syriza leftist party which is expected to elect a new leader on Sunday, said earlier this week that the government was pushing "a secret agenda" against workers. Greece's Communist Party KKE has called the bill monstrous.

  In Athens, demonstrations related to the strike are scheduled in Klafthmonos Square and Syntagma Square at 10:30 a.m. and in Piraeus in Karaiskaki Square at 10:00 a.m.  In Thessaloniki, demonstrations are planned at the Statue of Eleftherios Venizelos at 10:30 a.m.  Additional demonstrations are expected to take place throughout Greece during the day.     The following strikes are scheduled for Thursday, September 21, 2023 (12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.), unless otherwise noted:  Air Traffic Controllers have announced a 24-hour strike in all airports throughout Greece. Contact your airline or travel company for assistance.  Buses in Athens will operate only from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.  Trolleys in Athens will operate only from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.  Buses in Thessaloniki will operate only from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00pm.   Other organizations may decide to join the 24-hour General Strike for September 21, 2023 without prior warning.  Please monitor www.apergia.gr and local media for last-minute strike notifications.     Actions to Take:  Review your travel plans.  Contact your airline or travel company for assistance.  Avoid the areas of the demonstrations.  Exercise caution if unexpectedly in the vicinity of large gatherings or protests.  Monitor local media for updates.  Keep a low profile.     Assistance:  U.S. Embassy Athens  +(30) 210-721-2951  AthensAmericanCitizenServices@state.gov  https://gr.usembassy.gov     U.S. Consulate General Thessaloniki  +(30) 2310-376-300     State Department - Consular Affairs  (888) 407-4747 or (202) 501-4444 

The construction of the new Panathinaikos stadium and removal of the current one from central Alexandras Avenue will open the door for the conversion of the densely populated area into a green space, in addition to the enormous new green lung in Votanikos, which is anticipated to be finished in 2025. According to Bakoyannis, who spoke on Tuesday on Skai TV, the park in the Votanikos area, which will also contain the new Panathinaikos stadium, will be put out for tender within the next few weeks “so that the project can be contracted in the first quarter of next year.” It will be the largest urban park constructed in the city in the last century, with a total area of 21.5 hectares, and will complete the circle of Athens’ major green areas (Lycabettus, National Garden, Akadimia Platonos and others). 

Alexopoulou, responsible for transport, said that the meeting focused on the delivery timetable, which aims to put the buses to use in the first half of 2024, and to raise the total such buses in both cities to 1,300 by the end of the second government term. In statements after the meeting, she said that the buses would also include anti-pollution technology, while upgrading transport with them was a priority for both the ministry and the prime minister himself. The meeting included General Secretary for Transport Yiannis Xifaras, Yutong CEO for Europe Jack Li, Account Manager for Europe Frances Fan, and the managers of Kopelouzos Group's business development, Michalis Konstantinou and Panos Moschandreou. The priorities of the ministry include the following: Athens and Thessaloniki transport; infrastructure works; upgrading the Greek railway system; boosting air transport services; implementing a key group of irrigation works; implementing building infrastructural projects; incorporating the security of bridges, tunnels, and dams; road safety; and electric-powered vehicles. Toll prices Meanwhile, top ministry officials are still in negotiations with concessionaires of major highways in Greece on the issue of toll price raises. Ministry sources said, "The government's aim is an agrement with companies to share the cost, in order to keep price rises to the minimum possible for citizens."

Admission to the sites will be free of charge on these nights and the Culture Ministry has organised, as it does every year, numerous events on Tuesday, August 1 and on Wednesday and Thursday, August 30-31, at 50 archaeological sites, museums and monuments. The events include concerts, theatre, opera, art exhibitions and astronomical observation. An additional 50 archaeological sites, museums and monuments will be open for all visitors with no admission charged from 20:00-24:00.

They include Metropolitan Park 'Antonis Tritsis' (in Ilion), Pedion tou Areos Park (near the National Archaeological Museum/Alexandras), Finopoulos Hill (Gyzi), and Attiko Alsos (Galatsi). The closures are meant to protect both the public and the parks from the high threat of fire as temperatures are expected to register very high. All events at the Attiko Alsos Theater 'Katina Paxinou' are also cancelled.

The cost of the interventions in the center of the capital has reached €13 million on the basis of the budgeted funds. Some €1.8 million for the redevelopment of the lower side of Syntagma Square, €7.35 million for the redevelopment of Vasilissis Olga, and €3.75 million for Panepistimiou, of which €2 million is for the materials (plants, benches etc) used for the pilot implementation of the project.  The failure of the project in relation to what had been foreseen was also implicitly but clearly admitted by the mayor himself, Kostas Bakoyannis. He admitted that poor planning played a major role in the delays that occurred, inconveniencing the public, visitors and traders in the area.    “It took a long time for the project to be completed. Now it will be completed very soon, but it was late. If we were to redesign it, we would redeign it differently,” he said.

At the moment there is a heat wave in Athens and Greece with temperatures over 40 degrees celsius.

Managers Hellenic Public Properties Co. (HPPC) said on Wednesday it was extending the hours of operation from the current 08:00-21:00 to 08:00-01:00 as part of its social responsibility and to help and protect peoples of all ages. HPPC said that to facilitate the public, the central entrance would remain open, as would the canteens. The public should become informed of and follow faithfully the directions issued by the General Secretariat of Civil Protection for as long as the heatwave lasts.

High temperatures are going to prevail in the country from Wednesday, July 12th and reach a peak on Friday and Saturday, 14-15th July. The highest temperatures are expected to climb to 42-43C. According to the available data, there will then be a small drop in maximum temperatures after Saturday but they will remain at high levels for many days. Experts at theHellenic Civil Protection Ministry have issued a series of guidelines for dealing with the heatwave that is expected to hit Greece on Wednesday and linger for at least a week, with temperatures topping 40 degrees Celsius. Readers are advised to follow the tips for beating the heat, especially when it comes to the safety of children, the elderly, individuals with health problems and other vulnerable groups. Residents and visitors to Greece are urged to: • Avoid exposure by staying indoors and away from crowds, using air-conditioning or fans where available. • Avoid strenuous activities like outdoor work, as well as sunbathing, walking or running in the heat. • Wear a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and light clothing – preferably cotton – when outdoors. • Eat light meals with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, going easy on fatty foods. • Drink plenty of water and fruit juice, while avoiding alcoholic beverages. In the meantime, local authorities will be operating cool rooms throughout the heatwave, providing air-conditioned spaces in community centers and pensioners’ clubs, as well as at sports arenas that will be used to host the homeless. Moreover, in view of the high temperatures forecast for the coming days, Culture Minister Lina Mendoni has ordered increased precautionary measures at archaeological sites. At the Acropolis sun shades will be installed while, in cooperation with the Red Cross, free water will be distributed when the days are at their hottest.  Authorities are also considering interrupting the opening hours of certain archaeological sites at specific times.         For its part, the Panhellenic Union of Antiquities Custodians (PEYFA) has called on the ministry to issue the necessary instructions for dealing with the impending heatwave, both for workers and visitors.

Athens 9.84 FM has prepared and presents a series of radio concerts in an unexpected and beautiful part of Athens. The City Hall opens its doors and invites us to spend cool musical evenings on its welcoming terrace overlooking both the Acropolis and Lycabettus hills . Concerts are open to the public. Those who wish, can watch them live, with free entry. All they have to do is tune into 98.3 FM and the station's social media to win invitations. Well-known and beloved artists, lyrical and contemporary, songwriters and troubadours will give us unforgettable evenings, surrounded by the station's producers who will play music before the concerts. With us will be: Christos Thivaios and Panagiotis Margaris, Margarita Zorbalas and Apostolos Rizos with a tribute to Manos Loizos, Vangelis Germanos and Polkar. More detail: Wednesday, June 28: "With a lighthouse the moon" Margarita Zorbalas and Apostolos Rizos choose to sing the ones they loved the most from the set of Manos Loizos' songs. The two embrace this priceless repertoire that - even though 50+1 years have passed since his death - still lives on, writing new stories and charting new paths. The distinguished performer and the special songwriter deeply believe that looking back at the composer's important work, as well as the lyrics he chose to set to music throughout his life, are an essential deposit of our cultural heritage and a reminder to the younger generation of the timelessness of his musicianship. project. Conductor and arranger: the pianist Neoklis Neofitidis Bass: Thodoris Koelis Flute: Konstantinos Makaritis   Thursday, June 29: "The soundtrack of our lives" Vangelis Germanos, the beloved songwriter, invites us on a musical journey with his songs that have become the soundtrack of our lives in recent decades, as well as new surprises from his new album entitled "Petra po kylaei". With him, on stage, will be 3 amazing musicians and Sassa Papalamprou on piano and voice. Bass: Apostolos Kaltsas Drums: Nikos Skomopoulos Saxophone / Flute: Theodoros Pistolas Sound engineer: Kostas Kyriakidis   Friday, June 30: "Polkar...until the final fall!" The immovable Polkar, i.e. George Papageorgiou's band, close the series of concerts on the Terrace of the Town Hall with a glittering festival full of trumpets, ukulele and Balkan sounds. The Polkars are: Voice, ukulele: Giorgos Papageorgiou Guitar, voice: Yiannis Kyratsos Trumpet: George Avramidis Trombone: Michalis Karanikos Bass: Christos Pappas Drums: Lazaros Pliabas Sound engineer: Sotiris Papakos   Saturday, July 1: "The evenings of the world" The concert that was supposed to open the curtain of the events on the roof of the City Hall, was moved - due to extraordinary circumstances - to the first day of the hottest month and its performers promise to complete the cycle of these special events in the most melodic way melodic evenings in the heart of the city. Christos Thivaios and Panagiotis Margaris, meet on the Terrace of the City Hall and tell, each in his own way, their lyrical tales with lyrics and music. Coordination - Curation of City Hall Sessions: Christos Papamichalis, Aristeas Ioannou, Odysseas Ioannou, Margarita Mytilineou Organisation: Athens 9, 84, within the framework of "Culture Is Athens"   Concert Information: Athens City Hall Athinas 63 10552 Athens Start time: 21:00