The Athens Retail Workers’ Union issued a statement denouncing the new employment contract presented by the multinational fashion store company H&M.

The union accuses the retail giant of trying to impose an agreement which further slashes workers rights and intensifies exploitation and oppression.

Specifically, the union points out at certain parts of the contract that obliges employees to work at any branch the company decides at any given time, increases working hours through ‘flexibility’ provisions and imposes a set of internal regulations, threatening employees with penalties, or even laying off, if they don’t comply.

The proposed agreement makes it easy for the employer to reduce salaries and fire employees.

The union statement calls for H&M employees to refrain from signing the contract and join the H&M Fight committee in their quest for a reinstatement of collective bargaining, which was abolished as per the reforms demanded by Greece’s lenders as part of the bailout program. Calling for all retail workers to unionise, the organisation accuses the government and the EU of nurturing and supporting this kind of agreements which undermines the rights of Greek workers.