Greece Paralyzed by Strike Over 13-Hour Workday Bill

A nationwide 24-hour general strike paralysed Greece as unions shut down trains, ferries, taxis and many public services to protest a government bill that would allow 13-hour workdays in exceptional circumstances. The proposal — not yet fully submitted to parliament but expected to pass in October — would allow single‑employer shifts of up to 13 hours for up to 37 days a year and offer 40% overtime pay, according to the government. Unions including GSEE, ADEDY and PAME denounced the plan as “modern slavery,” demanding a 35/37.5‑hour week and the return of abolished pay elements, and organisers and police reported thousands on the streets, with some counts exceeding 8,000 in Athens and Thessaloniki. The stoppages severely disrupted transport and tourism—leaving ferries in port, islands temporarily cut off, and airports and tourist services delayed or reduced. The government says the changes would increase labour‑market flexibility and let workers earn more through overtime, while critics warn that Greece’s low wages and rising cost of living since the debt crisis mean the reforms will pressure workers and have intensified political opposition to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s agenda.