General strike to resist attacks on workers’ rights in Greece

Workers in Greece were set to launch a general strike on Thursday of this week against attacks on conditions and union rights.

They are fighting a major assault on their working conditions by the Tory-type New Democracy government.

Prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis wants to introduce new legislation that would allow bosses to force through longer working hours with no increase in pay.

His new bill would also introduce a 50 percent turnout threshold on strike ballots, and restrictions on the right to picket.

The strike builds on growing battles throughout the pandemic.

Health workers staged hour long strikes and protests on 12 November.

And workers defied the government’s attempts to ban demonstrations on Tuesday of last week marking the anniversary on an uprising against Greece’s former military dictatorship.