Greek unions on Thursday (Greece time) staged a 24-hour walkout paralysing services and snarling public transport over labour legislation that will allow greater job flexibility.
Civil servants, hospital workers, school teachers and dock workers joined the strike, which also shut down the Athens subway and left buses operating on reduced hours.
A key part of the bill, is that private sector staff will be allowed to work at more than one employer daily.
Businesses will also be able to require staff to work six days a week in an emergency.
Opposition parties and unions have accused the conservative government of empowering employer exploitation in a poorly-supervised labour market where many workers are afraid of losing their jobs.
The labour ministry says the purpose of the legislation is to “boost employment” and “increase the number of viable and justly paid jobs.”
The bill also forbids strikers to prevent other staff from working during a walkout, and disallows layoffs linked to discrimination.
On Wednesday, the entrance of an Athens building housing the private office of Labour Minister Adonis Georgiadis was daubed with red graffiti calling him “scum.”
The government passed a law in July allowing people to continue working up to the age of 74, seven years beyond the official retirement age.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has vowed to reduce unemployment in Greece, currently at 10.8 percent, to eight percent by 2027.
In a recent parliamentary address regarding proposed labor legislation, Socrates Famellos, President of the Parliamentary Group of the SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance, lambasted the government’s plan, accusing it of “exacerbating income inequality and undermining workers’ rights”.
Famellos argued that “Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s administration is responsible for widening the wealth gap, with the poor becoming poorer and the rich growing richer.”
He contended that “this plan hinges on eroding labour rights, diminishing household purchasing power, and jeopardising the sustainability of small and medium-sized enterprises”.
He went on to accuse the government of prioritising the interests of business elites by introducing anti-worker legislation, referencing the first moves made by three ministers—Vroutsis, Hatzidakis, and Georgiadis—which he claimed were enacted at the behest of powerful business associations.
Famellos asserted that the current labour bill, characterised as “despicable and anti-worker,” perpetuates insecurity and uncertainty among employees under the pretext of aligning with European directives. He criticised the government for fostering extreme job insecurity while the EU Directive clearly calls for transparent and predictable labour market conditions.
Furthermore, Famellos highlighted concerns raised by the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR), which stated that the proposed legislation downgrades worker protections in Greece. He also cited warnings from the parliamentary scientific service regarding the erosion of existing labor protections.
Among the most contentious aspects of the labour reform, Famellos pointed to provisions that allow simultaneous employment with another employer, potentially leading to 13-hour workdays within a 24-hour period. He also raised alarm about near-zero-hour contracts, which leave workers in precarious situations, and individual employment contracts that give employers unchecked power over employees. Additionally, he criticised the inclusion of penalties for union activities and intimidation of workers exercising their right to strike.
Famellos also addressed the issue of the three-year freeze on labour relations, contending that promises made by the Prime Minister at the Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF) turned out to be empty rhetoric.
In contrast to the government’s policies, Famellos reiterated SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance’s commitment to making labour the cornerstone of the country’s productive model. He argued that prioritising fair and sustainable development through employment would have a multiplier effect, benefiting purchasing power, local development, demographics, competitiveness, and social cohesion.
In conclusion, Famellos asserted that, despite their electoral defeat, SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance continues to offer a strong and evidence-based opposition, shedding light on the shortcomings of Prime Minister Mitsotakis’s government and presenting alternative proposals.
*With AFP & AMNA
