The metro, the Kifissia-Piraeus electric railway and the tram network in Athens will be disrupted next week as staff hold work stoppages as a preamble to further action in protest against what they describe as the government’s decision to pave the way for the privatization of public transport.

“Private urban transport has been tried before and the consequences are well known: Expensive tickets, unsafe transport and even fewer routes,” the workers said in a statement.

The stoppages will be Monday from the beginning of service until 10 a.m., on Wednesday from noon until 4 p.m., and on Friday from 10 p.m. until the end of services.

The week after that will see similar stoppages.