Greece’s public sector and the seamen union have called for a 24-hour nationwide strike on Wednesday, June 16, to protest the planned Labor Law.
Public sector union umbrella ADEDY will hold a protest rally in downtown Athens at 11 a.m.
In Parliament the debate on the new labor law started on Monday morning. Over 200 lawmakers have registered as speakers. The debate is scheduled to end with a vote on Wednesday night.
Ruling party New Democracy has defended the bill as “forward-looking” in outlook, while the all opposition parties demand the bill’s withdrawal.
As the draft bill abolishes basic workers’ rights, such as paid overtime work, 8-hour working day, opposition parties say that it “brings working people to the start of the 19th century” and changes their lives and society for the worse.
The government has itself stated its intention to request a roll-call vote but the opposition has asked for certain articles to be withdrawn outright or denounced them as unconstitutional.
Parliamentary deputies have also been given access to a report on the draft legislation issued two days ago by Parliament’s Scientific Council, which found that, while it was possible for labor relations to be regulated by means of individual contracts if proposed by the employee, the study of labor law questions the authenticity of such individual contracts due to the employee’s dependent position relative to the employer.
