Скачать или смотреть General strike in Greece disrupts public transport as workers protest changes to labour laws

(1 Oct 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Athens, Greece - 1 October 2025
1. Various of public and private sector workers marching through centre Athens
2. Wide of protest
3. Various of public and private sector workers marching
4. SOUNDBITE (Greek) Maria Hasanidou, nurse:
"Today is a huge strike against the 13-hour shift, but not only that. There is poverty, austerity, there is a genocide in Palestine, there are privatizations that kill, like in Tempi (where a deadly train crash took place), in hospitals. We’re talking about the hospitals which especially the New Democracy government has literally destroyed and has privatized."
5. Wide of protesters marching through centre Athens
6. Various of pro-Palestinian supporters holding flares and chanting slogans, UPSOUND (Greek): "Freedom for Palestine”
7. Wide of supporters of Communist-backed labour union (PAME) marching
8. Various of supporters of PAME marching and chanting
9. Close up of sign reading (Greek) “13-hour shift. No life”
10. SOUNDBITE (Greek) Ziokas Konstantinos, Vice President of construction workers' union:
"Today, there is a major nationwide general strike taking place, with the aim of forcing the government to withdraw the monstrous bill concerning the '13MP'. Essentially, it seeks to impose working day and night, in order to adapt labour relations to the needs of employers so they can make more profit. This is a law for the profits of the few at the expense of the many — at the expense of workers and hard-working people. The demand is for the bill to be withdrawn here and now. As the Athens Builders' Union, we are simultaneously demanding a five-day workweek, 7-hour workdays, and a 35-hour workweek. It is unacceptable that in the new era of technological advancement, in the age of artificial intelligence, workers are working more hours and earning less money — instead of the opposite happening. We will respond to this in the streets, and even if this becomes law, we will cancel it in practice through our struggles."
11. Wide of protest in front of Greek Parliament
12. Various of riot police
STORYLINE:
Thousands of demonstrators marched through the streets of Athens on Wednesday as part of a general strike that left ferries tied up in port and disrupted services across Greece to protest changes to labour laws.

Many of the protesters also waved Palestinian flags and chanted “free, free Palestine” to voice their opposition to the war in Gaza.

No taxis or trains in Athens were running for the duration of the 24-hour strike, as buses and the capital city's subway, tram and trolley services operated on a reduced schedule.

The strike disrupted services across the country, including in schools, courts, public hospitals and municipalities.

Unions representing civil servants and private sector workers called the strike to protest labour law changes that allow greater flexibility to working conditions, including overtime that could stretch occasional shifts to 13 hours.

Under the new regulations, working hours that include overtime would be capped at 48 hours per week, with a maximum of 150 overtime hours allowed per year.

Unions argue the new rules leave workers vulnerable to labour abuses by employers.

AP video by Lefteris Pitarakis and Srdjan Nedelijkovic

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