A bill of law being pushed by the Greek government has come under fire for its regressive and anti-worker provisions. UNI Europa fully backs the national strike and condemns the highly restrictive draft legislation which would be a serious blow to democracy at work.
Provisions in the proposed law would overturn what is left of legislation on collective bargaining, working hours regulation, lay-offs, trade union function, strikes and labor-supervisory institutions. The move echoes disproved economic vision imposed by the Troika in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis during which working people were made to pay for a crisis that was not of their making.
The current legislative attack seeks the annulment of the constitutionally guaranteed right to strike, undermine trade union functions as a wholecompletely deconstruct two fundamental laws for the trade union movement and collective agreements.
“This sledgehammer bill seeks to destroy, not build. The government is treating labour relations like a political football. But blaming working people for their own failings is a recipe for disaster and will have dramatic repercussions in terms of increasing inequality and unaccountability of coroporate operations,” said Olicer Roethig, Regional Secretary of UNI Europa.
“Countries in Europe where people have more of a say at work are also those where productivity and social mobility is highest. The government is trying to sell its proposal as modern, but there is nothing forward looking about gagging democracy at work. If the Greek government wants to deliver shared prosperity, it must change its course.”
