Nationwide strike in Greece over labour laws halts public services

Athens [Greece], October 1 (ANI): Greece witnessed a nationwide strike on Wednesday as unions representing civil servants and private sector workers staged a walkout against government plans to amend labour laws to allow extended working hours, Al Jazeera reported.

The 24-hour strike paralysed public transport in Athens, with taxis and trains unavailable, while buses, the city's subway, trams, and trolley services ran on reduced schedules. Ferries were tied up in port, disrupting connectivity to the islands. Public services, including schools, courts, public hospitals and municipalities, were also affected. Protest marches were planned in central Athens and across the country around midday (09:00 GMT).

According to Al Jazeera, the strike was called in response to government proposals introducing more flexibility into labour laws, including overtime that could extend shifts to 13 hours a day. Under the new regulations, working hours, including overtime, would be capped at 48 hours per week, with a maximum of 150 overtime hours allowed annually.

Unions warned the reforms would expose workers to exploitation. "We say no to the 13-hour [shift]. Exhaustion is not development, human tolerance has limits," the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE), the country's largest private sector union, said in a statement.

The union further argued that the changes "endanger the health and safety of workers and destroy the balance between professional and personal life." It called for a 37-and-a-half-hour working week and the reinstatement of collective bargaining agreements, Al Jazeera reported.

Defending the legislation, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said earlier this month that the reforms would support those seeking greater flexibility. "We guarantee freedom of choice for both the employer and the employee. Why would that be antisocial?" Mitsotakis said. The government has also stressed the reform would apply only for up to 37 days a year and allow workers to earn 40 per cent overtime payments.

Despite Greece's recent economic progress, with unemployment declining and growth reaching 2.3 per cent last year according to the European Commission, wages remain a concern for many citizens. The minimum wage, although raised, currently stands at 880 euros (USD 1,031) per month, Al Jazeera noted. (ANI)

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