ATHENS (Reuters) – Greek workers began a day-long strike on Thursday to protest against government plans to overhaul labour laws which unions fear will undermine employees’ rights and let companies bring in longer working hours through the back door.
The walkout by the country’s biggest private and public sector unions brought public transport to a standstill and kept ferries docked at ports. Several rallies were planned to converge in central Athens later on Thursday.
“It won’t pass,” public sector union ADEDY said.
In announcing the bill last month, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ conservative government said the measures would modernize “antiquated” laws dating back decades to a pre-internet time when most workers clocked into their offices and factories at the same set hours.
It said the changes would offer more workers more flexibility to decide their own schedules and help tackle exploitation, unpaid overtime and undeclared work which have fuelled a large, untaxed grey economy.
The most contentious part of the bill, which is expected to be voted on next week, allows employees to work up to 10 hours on one day and less time on another, which unions fear will enable employers to force workers to accept longer hours.
The bill would also give workers the right to disconnect outside of office hours and introduce a “digital work card” to monitor employees working hours in real time, as well as increase legal overtime to 150 hours a year.
Critics say the government is seeking to raise the eight-hour working day to 10 hours and scrap the five-day working week and collective bargaining agreements, as well as make it harder to call strikes.
The left-wing Syriza party said the bill was a “monstrosity” and called on the government to withdraw it.
“They will not take us back to the 19th century,” Syriza said.
(Writing by Karolina Tagaris; Editing by Kim Coghill)
