Greek Unions Stage Nationwide Strike Against 13-Hour Workday Plans

Greece is set to experience a 24-hour nationwide general strike on Wednesday, organized by the main private and public sector unions GSEE and ADEDY, to protest the conservative government's proposed labor reforms including a 13-hour workday. The strike will disrupt public transport, hospitals, schools, ports, railways, and air travel across the country, with additional participation from teachers' unions, railway workers, air traffic controllers, ferry workers, and taxi drivers. The new labor law, titled “Fair Work for All,” allows for exceptional 13-hour workdays with a 40% pay increase, flexible scheduling, and extended overtime, which unions and workers strongly oppose, fearing exploitation and erosion of workers' rights. The government defends the reform as voluntary and limited to specific circumstances, emphasizing employee consent and the potential for increased earnings. Critics argue that longer hours threaten worker health and work-life balance, with some unions labeling the proposals as a step toward “modern slavery.” Demonstrations and rallies are planned nationwide, reflecting broad resistance to the ongoing deregulation of Greece's labor market under Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.