The General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE) said the draft legislation, titled “Fair Work for All,” primarily targets working time regulations and “deliberately weakens collective labor agreements, since working time arrangements are a cornerstone of such agreements across Europe.”
The union recalled that Greece was condemned by the Council of Europe in 2014 following a complaint it had lodged on a similar issue, namely the regulation of working hours. It argued that, once the bill’s public consultation ends, genuine social dialogue should follow as a basic part of democratic lawmaking. Such a process, it said, would highlight workers’ objections and show that the proposed changes would hit the most vulnerable employees hardest—those already facing insecure jobs and poor conditions.
According to the GSEE, the bill would not only make life “intolerable” for hundreds of thousands of workers but also deal a direct blow to the principle of collective negotiations. The union accused the government of ignoring the positions of workers and other social partners, and instead advancing “an unacceptable package of measures designed to serve narrow employer interests, while striking at labor rights and dismantling the framework for collective bargaining.”
It also criticized clauses allowing for a nominally voluntary 13-hour workday or the postponement of annual leave “at the worker’s discretion,” arguing that in a relationship where employers hold far greater power, such provisions merely reveal the true intent of the law.
The GSEE warned that, at a time when Greece is already losing population due to low wages and poor working conditions, the legislation risks further deterioration in the workplace. Greek unions are preparing mobilizations against the bill, beginning in Thessaloniki during the International Fair.
