Greek workers march in Athens during a nationwide strike against the new 13-hour workday law.
Thousands of Greek workers brought the country to a standstill on Wednesday, taking to the streets in protest against new labour laws that allow shifts of up to 13 hours. The general strike, called by unions representing both public and private sector employees, lasted 24 hours and caused widespread disruption across the nation.
No taxis or trains ran in Athens during the strike, while buses, subways, trams, and trolleys operated on limited schedules. Public services, including schools, courts, hospitals, and municipal offices, were heavily impacted. In Athens, the seas were unusually quiet as ferry crews kept vessels docked in solidarity with the protest.
Major cities, including Athens and Thessaloniki, witnessed halted transport systems and mass absenteeism from hospitals, schools, and other government offices. Alongside the anti-labour law demonstrations, protests were also held over the interception of the Gaza Aid Flotilla and the ongoing conflict in Palestine.
‘Modern slavery’: Why Greeks Are Protesting
Unions have criticised the law for giving employers greater flexibility, including overtime that could extend shifts to 13 hours. The regulations cap weekly working hours, including overtime, at 48 hours, with a maximum of 150 overtime hours per year. Union leaders warned that the law leaves employees vulnerable to labour abuses.
“We say no to the 13-hour (shift). Exhaustion is not development, human tolerance has limits,” the General Confederation of Workers of Greece said in a statement, calling for a 37½-hour working week and the restoration of collective bargaining agreements.
Pro-communist union All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) accused the government under Kyriakos Mitsotaki of enforcing “inhumane hours and miserable wages,” adding that the reform amounts to “modern slavery.”
The protests echo similar demonstrations in 2024, when the Greek government imposed a six-day working week on private businesses in tourism and other 24/7 service sectors. Thousands marched then as well, with unions labelling the move “barbaric.”