The Greek Parliament gave its approval this Friday to a controversial labor reform proposed by the conservative Government of Kiriakos Mitsotakis that allows companies in some sectors to impose a sixth working day per week. In addition, it also guarantees that workers who want to can have a second part-time job of up to five hours a day, alongside their main job of eight hours a day. In other words, working up to 13 hours a day, except for some exceptions where there may be a conflict of interest.
The Executive has argued that this law will eliminate undeclared overtime and increase employment, but the opposition has cried out against “barbaric” conditions. The Communist Party, KKE, considers it a “monstrous” project, while the main opposition party, Syriza – which this weekend will elect a new leader after the electoral defeat and resignation of Alexis Tsipras – believes that New Democracy, the formation in power, has a “secret agenda” against the workers.
Thousands of Greeks took to the streets on Thursday in the country’s largest cities to protest against the Executive’s labor law, in a 24-hour strike called by the civil servants’ union, to which urban transport workers were added, the health personnel of hospitals, teachers and professors. “We become modern slaves”, read one of the banners. More than 6,000 people demonstrated in Athens, according to police, while other protests emerged in more cities, including Thessaloniki, Larissa and Patras.
The law, approved by the 158 deputies of New Democracy, which achieved an absolute majority in the general elections in June, also establishes that companies that impose a sixth working day will have to pay an additional 40% on the daily wage to workers. The Government says that this will only happen in extraordinary cases, but the unions fear that it will become the norm due to the lack of work inspections. “Neither eliminate the eight-hour day nor the five-day week”, defended the Minister of Labor, Adonis Georgiadis, during the vote.
However, the law also introduces contracts for new on-call workers, who will not have a fixed number of hours per contract, but will have to go to the site when the company needs it, as long as it gives 24 hours’ notice. advance
“Leave the door open to work up to 13 hours a day, and until we are 74 years old,” lamented Lambrini Christoianni, president of the Ministry of Agriculture workers’ union. Unions are also protesting that they believe the right to strike would be severely affected, as blocking workers from entering or leaving will now be punishable by up to six months in prison and a €5,000 fine.
The new Greek legislation goes further and allows companies to fire a worker without notice or compensation in the first year of the contract, unless something else has been agreed before. In addition, it introduces a trial period of up to six months, and also establishes fines of up to 10,500 euros if employers do not declare workers’ overtime or eventual shift changes.
