Daily Management Review

Thousands of people take to the streets in Greece to protest against possible four-day workweek


06/11/2021


Greece's major trade unions went on strike, leading to a halt in public transport. The reason was the forthcoming labour reform to move to a flexible schedule with a four-day working week and the possibility to work more than eight hours a day.



pixnio
pixnio
In Greece, thousands of people took to the streets against the government's labor law reform, Bloomberg writes.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has proposed changes that would involve a shift to flexible working hours. The reform proposes increasing the length of the working day, but reducing the number of working days per week and increasing the length of days off. Labour Minister Kostis Hatzidakis said the new bill would allow workers to move to more flexible working hours, but with a maximum number of working hours per week not exceeding 40.

Trade unions fear that the controversial part of the bill, which spells out the possibility of increasing one working day from 8 to 10 hours by reducing working hours on another day, will lead employers to exploit their employees, Reuters wrote. At the same time, the bill says the changes would allow Greeks more flexibility in their schedules and help avoid exploitation and unpaid overtime.

Because of the strike, organized by the largest trade unions in Greece, public transport in the country stopped and ships and ferries remained in ports, writes Bloomberg. Doctors, teachers and court staff are also expected to join the protests. Reuters estimates that about 10,000 people gathered outside the parliament building for the rally.

Bloomberg notes that Greece has the highest unemployment rate in Europe. The bill will be tabled for a vote in parliament next week.

sourec: bloomberg.com