İskeçe Trade and Private Employees Union calls for abolition of toll concessions
In its announcement, the union criticized the government’s decision to begin 2026 with higher toll charges, arguing that workers are once again being burdened with additional costs amid rising taxes and budget cuts.
“If there was anything missing for working people, it was yet another levy added on top of taxes and austerity measures imposed by an anti-people budget,” the statement said.
“Motorways Have Been Paid for Repeatedly—By the People”
According to the union, Greece’s motorways have already been paid for multiple times and will continue to be financed not by major construction groups, but by ordinary citizens.
“Motorways have been paid for, repaid, and will keep being paid for—not by the large construction corporations that profit from their exploitation, but by the people. That is how capitalist development works: profits for contractors, permanent bills for workers,” the union stressed.
The union noted that the new toll increases are not unexpected, but rather the direct result of long-standing concession agreements signed and implemented by successive governments.
Criticism of Concession Contracts
The statement argues that these contracts were designed to guarantee profits for private operators through built-in clauses and automatic increases, regardless of citizens’ ability to pay.
“These agreements are tailor-made for corporate interests, ensuring guaranteed profits, penalties, and constant toll hikes—irrespective of social conditions,” the announcement said.
Infrastructure for Profit, Not Public Need
The union further criticized major infrastructure projects, stating that they are not built to serve public needs such as safe, affordable, and fast transportation, but rather to support EU market integration and military-economic planning.
It emphasized that modern road infrastructure increasingly serves ‘dual-use’ purposes, aligned with both commercial and defense strategies, instead of prioritizing the daily needs of citizens.
