Athens (AFP) – Thousands of Greek workers prompted large-scale disruption during a 24-hour general strike on Wednesday, protesting against the conservative government’s plans to introduce a 13-hour work day. The strike has disrupted transport in the capital Athens and the second-largest city Thessaloniki, affecting trains and ferry services, while teachers, hospital staff, and civil servants are also taking part.
Police reported over 8,000 people protesting in Athens and Thessaloniki against the reforms proposed by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s conservative government. Other major cities also saw demonstrations. “With this law, workers will no longer have a private life and for what? To satisfy employers and increase their profits!” said Notis Skouras, a member of the hairdressers’ union, while speaking to AFP in the capital. The main private sector union GSEE, which is leading the walkout alongside the public sector union ADEDY, has claimed that the reform “endangers the health and safety of workers and destroys the balance between professional and personal life.”
Pro-communist union PAME has accused the government of seeking to introduce “modern slavery” for workers and forcing them to endure “inhumane hours and miserable wages.” “This law will not improve anything,” said Panagiotis Gakas, a member of the construction workers’ union. “Workplace accidents often occur during overtime hours when workers are exhausted,” the 59-year-old noted, pointing out that their union has already recorded 20 fatal working accidents in its sector.
The bill, which has not yet been submitted to parliament, allows staff to work 13 hours a day for the same employer under exceptional circumstances and for extra pay. In a country where the economy has recovered since the debt crisis but remains fragile, this possibility already exists, but only if an employee has two or more employers. Mitsotakis, who has been in power since 2019, has highlighted that many young people currently hold two jobs and wish to work more to earn extra income. “We guarantee a freedom of choice for both the employer and the employee. Why would that be antisocial?” he stated earlier this month.
Labour Minister Niki Kerameus has emphasized that the measure is “exceptional” and will not be generalized. “It is a provision… valid for up to 37 days per year… only with the employee’s consent and with 40 percent increased pay,” she told Mega TV this week. Despite falling unemployment and sustained growth—which according to the European Commission clocked in at 2.3 percent last year—low wages remain a major economic concern for Greek workers alongside the high cost of living. The minimum wage, although raised, stands at 880 euros ($1,031) per month.
Teacher Violetta Galanopoulou, 42, expressed her worries about the reform’s detrimental effect on workers’ health. “Is it really a solution to exhaust workers and make them work so many hours a day at the risk of endangering their lives and mental health?” she questioned. Hairdresser Skouras wondered whether conditions in Greece had genuinely improved for the better. “Has the economic and social situation improved in Greece? I think today’s events are a good answer to this question. Rents have increased, salaries have stagnated, and working conditions are not improving,” he said.
Parliament has not yet scheduled a discussion of the draft law, according to its press service. According to Eurostat, Greeks work an average of 39.8 hours per week compared to the EU average of 35.8 hours. Servers and cooks in the tourist sector often work extended days during peak season—sometimes without any weekly rest. The legal working day in Greece is eight hours, with the option to perform paid overtime. Greece has already legalized a six-day working week, especially during high demand in certain sectors including tourism.
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