Thousands Protest Labor Law Changes, Services Paralyzed

Thousands Protest Labor Law Changes, Services Paralyzed

Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Athens on Wednesday in a general strike that halted ferries and disrupted public services across Greece, opposing recent labor law changes.

Demonstrators also waved Palestinian flags and chanted slogans in support of Gaza, including “Free, free Palestine.”

During the 24-hour strike, taxis and trains in Athens were suspended, while buses, the subway, tram, and trolley services operated on limited schedules. Schools, courts, hospitals, and municipal offices nationwide were also affected.

The strike was organized by unions representing civil servants and private sector workers against labor reforms allowing extended overtime shifts of up to 13 hours. Under the new rules, total weekly working hours, including overtime, are capped at 48 hours, with a maximum of 150 overtime hours per year.

Unions argue that the changes leave employees vulnerable to exploitation. “We reject the 13-hour shift. Exhaustion is not development; human endurance has limits,” said the General Confederation of Workers of Greece, the main private sector union.

The unions also demanded a 37½-hour workweek and the restoration of collective bargaining agreements.