Greek Ministry of Culture workers protest new heritage law

On July 22, unions representing employees of the Greek Ministry of Culture staged work stoppages and rallies in Athens and Thessaloniki to oppose a draft law pending parliamentary vote. The proposal creates an anonymous company to manage the Organization of the Archaeological Service (ODAP) for fifty years and establishes a new public legal entity for the management of the Enalia cultural heritage site. Union statements warn that the measures would weaken the Archaeological Service, shift control of revenue from monuments to an administrative board, and open the heritage sector to commercial exploitation, private events and cost‑benefit driven decisions.

The left‑wing group ELAS also condemned the draft, describing it as an attempt to fully privatise museums and archaeological sites by handing over ownership and management to a profit‑oriented anonymous company. ELAS called for the ticketing of major archaeological sites to be returned to Archaeological Service staff and warned that the law would effectively dismantle the Archaeological Service. Both groups demand that the legislation be withdrawn.