POEET calls nationwide 24-hour strike Feb. 25 over unpaid seasonal benefits

The Panhellenic Federation of Food and Tourism Workers (POEET) said in a Feb. 9 press release that it "unanimously announced a 24‑hour national strike across Greece’s tourism and food‑service sector to take place on February 25, 2026, with a mass rally outside the Ministry of Labour." The action targets unpaid seasonal benefits, stalled collective bargaining and what the union describes as dangerous workplace conditions for thousands of tourism employees.

POEET and media reporting that quoted the federation say the strike will be accompanied by a central rally at 11:00 a.m. outside the Ministry of Labour. The federation accuses the state of leaving "thousands of seasonal workers remain unpaid by the state, despite the fact that they submitted applications to DYPA from late October and early November." POEET blames understaffing of local DYPA services in major tourist destinations for processing backlogs and cites the government's failure, "two years after the adoption of the relevant law," to distribute prepaid cards to beneficiaries.

The strike also centers on longer term social protections and collective bargaining. Tornosnews reported POEET’s charge of "ongoing mockery," saying that "for almost two years there has been no response from the Ministry of Labor regarding the restoration of the duration of unemployment benefits for seasonal workers, as well as the granting of the lump-sum payment at 20 years of service, which was abolished by the Katseli–Katrougalos law." The same reporting noted that the signing of a new collective labor agreement in food service and catering - described as "the largest collective agreement in the country, covering approximately 500,000 workers and 88,000 businesses" - remains in arbitration.

Freshplaza reported that several other federations and unions have announced participation or solidarity, including the Panhellenic Federation of Foodstuffs, Milk, and Beverage Workers; the union representing employees in the hotels, restaurants, and catering industries of Athens; the Panhellenic Maritime Federation; the Piraeus dockworkers union; the Hellenic Air Traffic Controllers Association; and the Panhellenic Federation of Railway Workers. Freshplaza also warned of operational consequences, saying "Only due to the air traffic controllers' strike, more than 500 domestic and international flights and over 100,000 passengers will be affected. No aircraft will take off or land at any Greek airport on Friday," and predicting major impacts on the production and distribution of fruits and vegetables. Those specific transport and production figures and the roster of participating federations are reported by Freshplaza and have not been independently confirmed in the material released with the federation's press statement.

Reporting around the action contains a weekday discrepancy. Sources consistently give the calendar date Feb. 25, 2026, while some accounts describe the day as Tuesday and others refer to Friday. The location, time and date as stated by POEET remain the primary indicators for workers and employers pending confirmation from the union and the employers' side.

For restaurant owners, managers and front- and back-of-house staff, the strike highlights the immediate risk of staffing gaps and delayed benefit payments for seasonal hires, along with potential supply-chain interruptions affecting deliveries of produce and other goods. POEET’s move also underscores the unresolved arbitration over the sector’s collective agreement and simmering tensions over inspections, working hours and accommodation standards for tourism workers.

If the action proceeds as announced, expect rallying outside the Ministry of Labour at 11:00 a.m. on Feb. 25 and evolving notices from transport and port authorities. The dispute could reshape seasonal hiring and benefit administration unless the government and POEET reach a faster resolution on unpaid claims and the stalled measures POEET lists.