Academics, laboratory, technological staff and administrative employees of the University of Thessaly, together with OSE workers, SYRIZA MPs and executives of the party and other parties gathered today at the Volos Railway Station, a large number of people responding to the call of the Prefectural Department of ADEDY Magnesia for participating in a protest performance with a flower and a candle for the victims of the train accident.

Among the organizers, the president of the Prefectural Department of Magnesia of ADEDY, Filippos Konstantinidis, spoke of a symbolic meeting this evening against the black background of the Volos Railway Station, a day when no one should speak. We say that there are no words for the parents who lost their children, there are no words for those children who with dreams started a journey of no return and there is no reason why.
We bow our heads and offer our deepest condolences to all those who are mourning today throughout Greece.

As workers, there are many times when we shout, like our colleagues for years in the OSE, that this whole operating framework was dangerous for people’s lives and they turned out to be true. Finally, enough is enough, we cannot mourn victims in order to bring about those movements that are needed for this country to function well, emphasized the president of ADEDY.

Also among the organizers, the president of the Union of Teachers of P.Th. Vanessa Katsardi said that the academic teachers are shocked by this tragic event that contains members of the academic community, mainly students.

“We are shocked and sympathize with our colleagues who will see their chairs empty, their laboratories empty, from people they have been in contact with. We are with our students who may feel lost all these days with the anxiety of whether or not their friends arrived at their homes or at their student houses,” he stressed.

The president stated that so far there is no news about any student of the University of Athens, she expressed the hope that there will be no news until the end, however it does not matter as the students are all her children.

The academics want to protest because the children should be in the halls of the Universities arriving at their homes and should not be afraid of how they will arrive.

Ms. Katsardi said that from the first moment the P.Th., the trade union bodies, the teachers, administrators, technicians and researchers are on the side of the victims and the injured, they gave blood, called for blood donations and have responded, the Larissa University Hospital was and is at the forefront and emphasized that everyone’s attitude is the bright exception of these dark days.

Ioannis Bairaktaris train driver and trade unionist at the Railway Federation said that we came to protest the government’s policy in terms of rail transport safety, because the trade union body had foreseen what was happening and all this happened, while the government continued to be indifferent. Following an appeal by trade unionists to the EU on February 15th, Greece was referred to the European Court of Justice for a lack of safety in the Greek railways.

Marble

He also mentioned that the railway workers are mourning, as is the whole of Greece, and the number of victims is still rising.

SYRIZA MP Alexandros Meikopoulos spoke of an incredible tragedy, expressed his condolences to the families of the dead, said that many children were not picked up by their parents from the station and this is not the time for statements or seeking blame.

“Now is a time of silence, for the wounded to recover quickly, so that everything that can be saved can be saved”, he emphasized and added that tomorrow the real causes and the real responsible parties must be revealed.

Marina Chrysoveloni former deputy minister and SYRIZA parliamentary candidate said that this is an unspeakable tragedy, the sadness is enormous, all we have to do is gather in a silent protest rally, in memory of the people who passed away and unfortunately, the majority were young children.

The Board of the Unified Teachers’ Association together with all the other Workers’ Associations of the University of Athens (EDIP, EGEP and Administrative) in the announcement it issued points out among other things “As members of the academic community which has been mourning since yesterday the most victims of the tragic accident, let us send to ears of the decision-makers the following message: No more human sacrifices on the altar of corporate profits, party and petty political interests! In-depth clarification of the causes of the tragedy and full attribution of responsibility! Not even a thought to cover up! Immediate restoration of traffic safety so that we do not mourn new victims”.

Source: magnesianews.gr