The Athens Bakers’ Guild is calling on its members to turn out in force for a demonstration taking place on Wednesday, June 17, at 7:00 p.m., with a pre-rally gathering at Monastiraki Square. The action is part of a broader mobilization organized by the Federation of Craft Trade Associations of Attica.
According to a statement from the Guild, the baking industry is facing serious financial strain due to rising energy costs, steep prices for raw materials, and a heavy tax burden. These conditions, the statement notes, have pushed many small businesses to the breaking point and significantly impaired the day-to-day operation of bakeries.
The Guild stresses that no meaningful relief measures have been taken to support businesses or address the cost-of-living crisis. It also voices strong opposition to the government’s current energy and tax policies.
What Athens Bakers Are Demanding
Among the key demands being put forward are the imposition of price caps on diesel, natural gas, and electricity, the elimination of the Special Consumption Tax and VAT on energy, and the abolition of the Energy Exchange.
Additional demands include the elimination of presumptive taxation and advance tax payments for micro-enterprises, the establishment of a tax-free threshold of 12,000 euros with additional allowances for dependents, the removal of VAT on basic consumer goods, and protection of primary residences and small business premises from foreclosure and auctions.
The list of demands also covers the creation of a special protected professional bank account for micro-enterprises, favorable debt settlement arrangements with the tax authority and the social security fund (EFKA), the write-off of penalties and pandemic-era debts owed to the insurance body, and a range of social support measures including free healthcare, an unconditional maternity allowance, and the reinstatement of the 13th and 14th pension payments.
