SYRIZA–Progressive Alliance calls for mass participation in the strike organized by ADEDY and the Athens Labor Center (EKA) on Tuesday, October 14, at the 11:00 AM rally in Syntagma Square, as well as at rallies across the country.
This coincides with the parliamentary debate on the Mitsotakis government’s anti-labor bill, which seeks to establish 13-hour workdays.
This bill marks yet another step in the government’s plan to turn the Greek labor market into a jungle, a goal it has openly declared. The Kerameos bill worsens the conditions for workers and leads to further impoverishment.
It essentially builds on the 2023 law introduced by Adonis Georgiadis, which allowed for 13-hour shifts under two employers. The new bill would now enable such working hours under a single employer.
In this context, the Minister’s claims that workers supposedly have the “right to refuse” such terms are utterly absurd, given that everyone is fully aware of the ever-present threat of dismissal.
The bill’s regressive provisions don’t stop at the 13-hour workday.
Its flexible working time arrangements, fragmentation of leave, and the legalization of 2-day employment contracts all deepen the labor dystopia imposed by the Mitsotakis government.
For six years, the New Democracy administration has pursued a policy of cheap, precarious labor with no rights, dismantling collective agreements, continuously eroding workers’ purchasing power and standard of living.
SYRIZA–Progressive Alliance has clearly outlined its positions on labor rights:
- Abolition of all anti-labor laws introduced by New Democracy
- 80% coverage under Collective Labor Agreements, and a substantial increase in the minimum wage through a National General Collective Agreement
- Restoration of the 13th and 14th monthly salaries in the public sector
- Two-month extension of unemployment benefits for tourism and hospitality workers
- Strengthening of labor inspection mechanisms
- Restoration and reinforcement of Collective Agreements
The mass presence of all workers on October 14 will send a powerful message of resistance against the government’s devastating plans.
SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance
Regional Committee of the Dodecanese
