Greece today: ΑΑΔΕ recalls a strawberry spirit over methanol, what closes on 28 October, Friday's seafarers' strike, and nursery vouchers rise 10%

Recall: do not use batch 003 of STRAWBAR ORIGIN strawberry spirit

ΑΑΔΕ (Ανεξάρτητη Αρχή Δημοσίων Εσόδων, Anexartiti Archi Dimosion Esodon), Greece's tax authority, announced on the evening of Monday 26 October 2026 that it is recalling a batch of a drink in the "strawberry distillate" category because a sample was found unsafe.¹² The recall comes from ΑΑΔΕ's General Directorate of the General Chemical State Laboratory (Γενικό Χημείο του Κράτους, Geniko Chimeio tou Kratous), and ΑΑΔΕ asks anyone who has already bought the product not to use it.¹ΕΛ²

The recalled product, with the labels as ΑΑΔΕ gives them:¹²

• Category: «απόσταγμα φράουλας» (strawberry distillate).¹²
• Trade name («Εμπορική ονομασία»): «STRAWBAR ORIGIN».¹²
• Alcohol («Αλκοολικός τίτλος»): 40% vol.¹²
• Packaging («Συσκευασία»): «Φιάλες των 50cl» (50cl bottles).¹²
• Batch («Ένδειξη παρτίδας»): 003, the only batch named.¹²
• Producer («Παρασκευαστής»): Αποσταγματοποιείο – Ποτοποιείο «ENTEKA» (Κοκκαλιάρης Ν. Ιωάννης, Νέα Νικόπολη Κοζάνης), a distillery and drinks maker in Nea Nikopoli, Kozani.¹²
• Distributor («Εταιρεία διακίνησης»): «Life Science Lab College Μονοπρόσωπη Α.Ε.», a single-member public limited company.¹²

The sample was taken during scheduled checks by ΑΑΔΕ's Macedonia Special Economic Controls Unit and tested by the Chemical Service of Central Macedonia.¹² ΑΑΔΕ says the sample was "non-compliant and unsafe, because the methanol concentration exceeds the relevant maximum limit for strawberry distillate" (our translation), and it gives no methanol figure.¹²³ The announcement reports no cases of illness, and none of the reports we read mentions any.¹²³ The distributor, working with the laboratory, is already withdrawing the whole batch from the Greek market, and ΑΑΔΕ says checks are continuing.¹²

What is open and closed on Wednesday 28 October 2026?

28 October, the national holiday, is a mandatory holiday (υποχρεωτική αργία, ypochreotiki argia) under article 60 of law 4808/2021, which applies "to all businesses, enterprises and work in general that close on Sundays" (our translation), and in 2026 it falls on a Wednesday.⁴⁵⁷ Businesses must close on 28 October 2026 unless the law allows them to open on Sundays and holidays: cafés, restaurants, bakeries, kiosks, petrol stations and duty pharmacies may open, and large supermarket chains are as a rule closed.⁵⁶⁷ Employees who work on 28 October get their normal day's pay plus a 75% supplement calculated on the legal hourly wage, and those who do not work keep their normal pay.⁷⁵

Bank branches are closed on 28 October 2026, which is on the bank-holiday list of the Hellenic Bank Association (Ελληνική Ένωση Τραπεζών, Elliniki Enosi Trapezon).⁸ Reports say ATMs, e-banking and SEPA instant transfers work as usual, but some standard transfers may go through only on the next working day.⁹⁶

The holiday does not move any official pension date: the labour ministry's release of 23 October 2026 gives 26 and 29 October for November pensions and does not mention 27 or 28 October.¹⁰ Proto Thema and enikonomia expect the money due on 29 October to show in bank accounts from the afternoon of Tuesday 27 October 2026, but neither quotes an official notice.¹¹¹²

When are November pensions paid this week?

e-ΕΦΚΑ (Ηλεκτρονικός Εθνικός Φορέας Κοινωνικής Ασφάλισης, Ilektronikos Ethnikos Foreas Koinonikis Asfalisis), the national social-security fund, and ΔΥΠΑ (Δημόσια Υπηρεσία Απασχόλησης, Dimosia Ypiresia Apascholisis), the public employment service, pay a total of €2,532,016,342.27 to 4,374,639 beneficiaries from 26 to 30 October 2026, the labour ministry said on 23 October 2026.¹⁰ Of that, €2,455,097,800.11 goes to 4,294,896 beneficiaries for November main and supplementary pensions, paid on Monday 26 and Thursday 29 October 2026.¹⁰ We explain it in full here, including which funds pay on which day.

ΟΠΕΚΑ (Οργανισμός Προνοιακών Επιδομάτων και Κοινωνικής Αλληλεγγύης, Organismos Pronoiakon Epidomaton kai Koinonikis Allilengyis), the welfare-benefits agency, had published no October 2026 payment announcement when we checked on 27 October 2026, and its latest press release was dated 14 October 2026.¹³ Ethnos says ΟΠΕΚΑ's October benefits are paid on Friday 30 October 2026, and Pagenews, citing the TV channel OPEN, says they are expected that day, but neither cites an ΟΠΕΚΑ release.¹⁴¹⁵ Our ΟΠΕΚΑ payment dates guide tracks the announcement.

Ferries on Friday 30 October 2026: three unions strike, still no nationwide call

Three seafarers' unions hold a 24-hour strike on Friday 30 October 2026: ΠΕΜΕΝ (PEMEN), the marine engineers' union; «Ο ΣΤΕΦΕΝΣΩΝ» (O Stefenson), whose full name is Πανελλήνια Ένωση Κατωτέρων Πληρωμάτων Μηχανής Εμπορικού Ναυτικού (Panellinia Enosi Katoteron Pliromaton Michanis Emporikou Naftikou), the union of lower-rank engine crews in the merchant navy; and ΠΕΝΕΝ (PENEN), the seamen's union.¹⁶¹⁷¹⁸ ΠΕΝΕΝ's notice, as reported by RPN, says the strike starts at 00:01 and ends at 24:00.²⁰ Reports say ships are expected to stay tied up in seven ports: Piraeus, Rafina, Lavrio, Patras, Igoumenitsa, Eleusis and Rio–Antirrio.^17161819

ΟΜΥΛΕ (Ομοσπονδία Μονίμων Υπαλλήλων Λιμένων Ελλάδος, Omospondia Monimon Ypallilon Limenon Ellados), the federation of permanent port employees, has called a three-hour stoppage on 30 October 2026 from 10:00 to 13:00.¹⁶¹⁹¹⁸ The Piraeus Labour Centre has called a 24-hour strike across Piraeus on 30 October 2026, with a rally at 10:00 in the square of the Dimotiko Theatro, the municipal theatre.²¹¹⁶ The seafarers' demands include 12% pay rises in collective agreements, recognition of dangerous sea areas as war zones, larger crews, a seven-hour day and a mandatory doctor on board.¹⁹¹⁸ The action is part of an international day of action by dockers' unions in more than 100 ports.²¹ ΑΔΕΔΥ (ADEDY), the civil servants' confederation, still holds stoppages from 08:00 to 12:00 in Attica and Achaia, and from 11:00 to the end of the shift in Thesprotia.²²

None of the reports we read mentions a strike call by ΠΝΟ (PNO), the nationwide seafarers' federation, and we found no such call as of 27 October 2026.^16171819 No report of 27 October 2026 names a ferry company that is cancelling sailings, and Newpost advises passengers to contact their shipping company.¹⁸ Our briefs of 23 October 2026 and 26 October 2026 list the other actions.

Nursery vouchers rise 10%, and income limits rise by €2,000

Greece's state-funded nursery vouchers rise 10% for the 2026–27 school year under joint ministerial decision (Κοινή Υπουργική Απόφαση, Koini Ypourgiki Apofasi, ΚΥΑ) no. 168039 ΕΞ 2026, published in the Government Gazette (Φύλλο Εφημερίδας της Κυβερνήσεως, Fyllo Efimeridas tis Kyverniseos, ΦΕΚ) Β΄ 6419 on 23 October 2026.²³²⁴ The top voucher, for an infant place with meals, goes from €3,239 to €3,563 a year, but the rise does not cover after-school centres (ΚΔΑΠ), whose voucher stays at €1,330.²³²⁴ The income limits for the full nursery voucher rise by €2,000 at every step, to €29,000 for families with up to two children and up to €38,000 for families with five or more.²³ΕΛ²⁴ Vouchers already issued rise automatically, without a new application.²³²⁴

Aftodioikisi's headline said income criteria had been removed, but the limits remain: only three-child families lose the ceiling, and only for the reduced-value voucher, which families with four or more children already got whatever they earned.²⁵²³²⁴ We explain it in full here.

Short-let hosts: September 2026 stay declarations are now due by 13 November 2026

ΑΑΔΕ has moved the deadline for short-term stay declarations («Δηλώσεις Βραχυχρόνιας Διαμονής») for September 2026 from 20 October to 13 November 2026, under decision Α.1227/2026, signed by its governor, Georgios Pitsilis, on 26 October 2026.²⁶²⁷ The extension covers stays where the guest left, or the booking was cancelled, between 1 and 30 September 2026.²⁶ΕΛ The decision cites the problems filers had with online submission on 20 October 2026, the original deadline.²⁶ Taxheaven's reproduction gives its Government Gazette reference as ΦΕΚ Β' 6467/26.10.2026, and the decision covers no other month.²⁶ We explain it in full here.

Greek households spent more than their income again in 2025

The gross saving ratio of Greek households and the non-profit institutions serving them was −3.9% in 2025, against −2.4% in 2024, ELSTAT (Ελληνική Στατιστική Αρχή, Elliniki Statistiki Archi), the statistics authority, said on 26 October 2026.²⁸ Their disposable income rose 3.7% in 2025, to €165.4bn, but their consumption rose 5.2%, to €171.8bn, so spending exceeded income by €6.4bn, by our calculation.²⁸ Dnews headlined that households "spend more than they take in" (our translation); that holds for the sector as a whole, not for every household, and the 2025 figures are provisional.²⁹²⁸ We explain it in full here.

Also today: public-sector pension applications, 120 instalments, the merchant fleet

• From Monday 2 November 2026, people insured under the former public-sector scheme apply for an old-age pension only online, on e-efka.gov.gr; survivors' pension applications follow from Monday 9 November 2026.³⁰ Our brief of 24 October 2026 has the details.
• The 120-instalment scheme for old tax and e-ΕΦΚΑ debts is not law yet, but it is now before Parliament: it is in the omnibus bill on loan servicers and the protection of debtors who pay on time, which ERT reported was tabled on 26 October 2026, and Taxheaven's summary of the tabled bill lists «τη ρύθμιση 120 δόσεων» (the 120-instalment settlement) among its contents.³⁷³⁸ Newpost had reported on 14 October 2026 that it would be added to the loan-servicers bill.³² Taxheaven's summary of the separate tax-and-benefits bill now in public consultation lists no such provision.³¹ The finance ministry's announcement of 30 September 2026 gives interest of 5.84% and applications until 30 June 2027.³³ Our 120-instalments guide explains where it stands.
• Greece's merchant fleet numbered 1,867 ships of 100 gross tons or more in August 2026, 1.5% more than in August 2025, but their gross tonnage fell 0.4%, to 34.69m, ELSTAT's provisional figures show.³⁴³⁵³⁶