‘Modern slavery’: Greek workers stage massive strike against 13-hour workday plans

Greece’s conservative government’s plan to bring in a 13-hour-long workday has sparked widespread protests in the country, where thousands of Greeks gathered for a 24-hour general strike.

The capital city of Athens was brought to a standstill due to the protests, with transport services like ferries and trains disrupted. The protests saw the participation of people from all walks of life, including teachers, hospital staff and civil servants.

Police said over 8,000 people in Athens and Thessaloniki were protesting against 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!” Notis Skouras, a member of the hairdressers’ union, told AFP in the capital.

The main private sector union GSEE, which is leading the walkout alongside public sector union ADEDY, has said the reform “endangers the health and safety of workers and destroys the balance between professional and personal life”.

Why has the new spill sparked anger?

The Mitsotakis-led government has proposed a bill that allows staff to work 13 hours a day for the same employer under exceptional circumstances, for extra pay. It, however, has not been submitted to the parliament yet.

The prime minister has defended the bill by arguing that many young employees, holding two jobs, have expressed a willingness to work more to earn more.

Mitsotakis said, “We guarantee freedom of choice for both the employer and the employee. Why would that be antisocial?”

Labour Minister Niki Kerameus has stressed the measure is “exceptional” and will in no way be generalised.

“It is a provision… valid for up to 37 days per year… only with the employee’s consent and with 40 per cent increased pay,” she told Mega TV this week.

‘Modern-day slavery’

Opponents argue that lengthening the workday is fueling exhaustion and increasing the risk of on-the-job injuries. The Communist Party–aligned union Pame went as far as to denounce the reform as akin to “modern slavery.”

Teacher Violetta Galanopoulou, 42, told AFP she was worried 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?”

With inputs from agencies