Unions in Greece Stage Wednesday Strike Over Labor Law

The caller labour instrumentality foresees ten-hour workdays for 4 days a week. Credit: AMNA

Unions successful Greece are staging a 24-hour nationwide wide onslaught connected Wednesday successful protestation against the caller labour instrumentality introduced by the blimpish government.

The strike, organized by the country’s 2 largest unions, GSEE and ADEDY, is expected to disrupt section authorities services, nationalist hospitals, schools, municipality and intercity transport, ports, railways and aerial travel.

Teachers’ unions—the Greek Primary Teachers’ Federation (DOE), the Greek Federation of Secondary Education State School Teachers (OLME), and the Federation of Private School Teachers (OIELE)—have besides urged members to join.

The Panhellenic Federation of Railway Workers (POS) and the aerial postulation controllers’ national said they would instrumentality part, portion ferry services volition beryllium suspended.

Why are unions successful Greece staging a onslaught owed to the labour law?

The new labour law foresees 10-hour workdays for 4 days a week passim the twelvemonth idiosyncratic contracts with reduced moving hours, 13-hour regular employment successful companies that bash not supply a abbreviated break, and a simplification successful the outgo of overtime.

The 88-article bill, titled “Fair Work for All,” clarifies the important changes successful idiosyncratic labour law. For example, the play of accrued and reduced employment periods, i.e., the notation play for the statement of moving hours, tin commencement from 1 week and scope up to 12 months.

In practice, this means that, based connected the needs of the leader and provided that the worker (if determination is nary national oregon association) accepts, the moving hours tin beryllium arranged adjacent each week oregon continuously.

It besides clarifies overtime rules, allowing employees to enactment up to thirteen hours per time nether voluntary agreement, with wage accrued by 40 percent. Limits connected play and yearly moving hours stay successful place, and employees are explicitly protected from dismissal if they garbage other hours. Still, overtime tin scope up to 4 hours per day, astatine the aforesaid employer.

Related: Nationwide Strike successful Greece to Disrupt Airports, Ports, and Public Transport