The Acropolis and other ancient monuments and museums in Athens will be open this weekend after Greek Culture Ministry employees called off a planned two-day strike.

The ministry workers’ union says it took its decision following a meeting late Wednesday with Greece’s culture minister — who, it said, took a “responsible” approach to employees’ demands.

The weekend strike, at the heart of the summer season, would have been a considerable embarrassment for Greece’s key tourism industry.

The union wants the government to honor a pledge to hire 233 archaeologists and guards, replacing employees who have retired in recent years.

Under the terms of Greece’s international bailouts, only a fraction of the civil servants who retire can be replaced by new hires.

 
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