Thousands of workers march in Athens

Image via the KKE

The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) reports that on September 8, thousands of workers, trade unions and mass organizations responded to the call of the All Workers’ Militant Front (PAME) and demonstrated in Athens. They demanded that the government withdraw the bill on the 13-hour working day and generalized flexibility, and announced their decision to respond to the government’s anti-labour plans with a general strike at the end of September.

Workers from different industries and workplaces assembled in Syntagma Square, united under their union banners, with shared demands: jobs with proper worker rights, a reduction in working hours to seven per day, five days a week (totaling 35 hours weekly), collective labour agreements, and wage increases.

Dimitris Koutsoumbas, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the KKE, took part in the rally in Athens and made the following statement:

“Workers are people, not machines. In the 21st century, the era of artificial intelligence and great scientific progress, reducing working hours is a realistic goal. Yet instead, the government is introducing a monstrosity, bringing in 13-hour working days. This must be withdrawn immediately!

What we need today is a seven-hour, five-day working week; decent wages; collective labour agreements; and health and safety measures. These are the demands of workers and unions, as evidenced by their mobilizations across Greece. We support these demands too, because they form part of the KKE’s political proposal for power.”