Discussion of the controversial labor bill

Now the Greek parliament is discussing a bill on changes in labor legislation, which the left parties and trade unions call cannibalistic. What are the problems of this bill?

Labor and Social Security Minister Kostis Hatzidakis stressed that the old law is behind the times and should have been modernized long ago. “Labor law is outdated. It is already 40 years old, its essence dates back to 1982, and it lacks adaptation to economic, social and technological changes, ”he explained to the deputies.

In particular, the amendments provide for the extension of nine weeks of maternity leave, including the introduction of a seven-day leave for assisted reproductive technologies and leave for mothers to care for a child born through surrogacy. And also the list of prohibitions on dismissal is expanding. For example, the only breadwinner in the family cannot be dismissed categorically in the first six months after the birth of a child.

In addition, the ministry proposes to introduce an electronic work card for each worker, with the help of which it will be possible to track hours worked and leave in real time. At the first stage, the digital card will be applied in banks and industry, and then it will be implemented everywhere.

But these are not all changes. More than two hundred MPs signed up to discuss the bill. According to representatives of opposition parties, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, under the guise of modernization, swung at the basic rights of workers and employees. For example, the right to an 8-hour workday and to receive additional overtime pay is canceled.

According to the representative of the opposition coalition of the SYRIZA party and the Progressive Alliance Marilisa Xenogiannakopulu, with these amendments, the government “abolishes the 8-hour workday, cuts wages, introduces individual contracts and unpaid overtime, terminates collective bargaining agreements and leads to uncontrolled layoffs.” She warned that the opposition is ready to go on strike. “We will fight decisively in parliament, in workplaces and in society to ensure that this anti-labor law does not pass.” Xenogiannakopulu said the amendments “will return all workers to the beginning of the 19th century” and change the life of society for the worse.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis speaks to parliament on OSH bill on June 16

“You are not Andreas Papandreou”

During the address, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, trying to answer Alexis Tsipras, said: “I found your historical disgust very interesting, as well as what will happen in the next elections. Tell us a secret? You are not Andreas Papandreou. Let’s put aside this lie that you turned your back on the government. ”

He reiterated that SYRIZA represents ambiguity in pandemic management, and to satisfy his audience, he hastened to turn to Pavlos Polakis again, saying that “the great scientist and vaccine expert Mr. Polakis says how we discovered vaccines so quickly … Do you support this, Mr. Tsipras? The first thing you need to do is come and publicly condemn your “top-notch” leaders. “

Secretary of the Central Committee of the KKE Dimitris Kutsumbas

📍Δήλωση του ΓΓ της ΚΕ του ΚΚΕ Δ. Κουτσούμπα στην απεργιακή συγκέντρωση

🔴Παρά τις απειλές, τα ψέματα, τις συκοφαντίες, την καταστολή οι εργαζόμενοι, το ταξικό συνδικαλιστικό τυτήτηο # απεργια_16Ιουνη # Σύνταγμα # Βουλη pic.twitter.com/j5MjcvUMbk

– Γραφείο Τύπου της ΚΕ του ΚΚΕ (@gt_kke) June 16, 2021

“Despite threats, lies, defamation and repression, the labor class trade union movement is growing stronger in this battle,” Secretary of the KKE Central Committee Dimitris Kutsumbas said at a strike meeting of trade unions and federations against the labor bill. He added: “Most of our people today and many more workers tomorrow will turn this law into fiction. They will throw it in the bin. “

The Speaker of the Parliament set the vote on introducing controversial amendments to the labor law for Wednesday evening, June 16. To disrupt it, on the initiative and with the support of the opposition, the trade unions announced that 24 hour national strikewhich started at 00.00.

Already in the morning on Wednesday, thousands of protesters pulled up to Klathmonos Square. Then they marched to Syntagma Square. And by 16:00, tens of thousands of people lined up on the square, chanting slogans against the bill.

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