Train, ferry, and taxi service has been suspended in Greece. Reuters reports that protests against extended working hours are expected in the capital, Athens, on Wednesday during a one-day general strike.
The action was organized by Greece’s largest private and public trade unions to protest the government’s plan to extend the current 13-hour workday for workers holding two jobs to the level established for those holding a single job.
A Labor Ministry spokesperson said the rule is expected to take effect in October. Unions believe it will increase pressure on workers in Greece. From 2009 to 2018, the country struggled with a debt crisis that led to wage and pension cuts and a sharp rise in unemployment.
Although the Greek economy is recovering and living standards have improved following a series of wage increases, Greeks still lag behind their European counterparts in purchasing power due to rising housing and food prices.
“We say ‘no’ to the 13-hour workday. Working time is not a commodity. It is our life,” the GSEE trade union, representing approximately 2.5 million private sector workers, said in a statement before the strike.
The government says the reform will apply to no more than 37 days a year, will allow workers to receive 40% overtime pay, and will address demands from employers and employees for a more flexible labor market.