The federation of private sector employees OIYE held a demonstration in downtown Athens on Sunday, in protest of the Sunday working hours. In Thessaloniki, employee unions held a demonstration on Aristotelous Street.
Dozens of employees gathered on Ermou Street, chanting slogans and handing out fliers with their demands. The protesters clashed with the police, which tried to push the employees away with chemicals.
According to OIYE’s general secretary, there are cases of employees who have not been paid in 15 months and argued that the proposed Sunday operation of stores will not increase revenue, but rather it will further deteriorate working conditions and rights.
SYRIZA’s candidate for the municipality of Athens Gabriel Sakellaridis condemned the police intervention, claiming that the police indiscriminately used tear gas, which resulted in many stores having to shut down. Mr. Sakellaridis added that what people need is “not more hours to shop, but more money”.
On Monday OIYE issued a statement condemning the police operation and claiming that the riot police assaulted the protesters without provocation, while endangering the health of passers by. OIYE further stresses that the riot police’s assault “is another example of the government’s authoritarianism” and argued that “this government is dangerous for democracy”.
Elsewhere in its statement the federation accuses the government of “operating as a ‘middleman’ to serve multinationals and chain stores, who see Sundays are a golden opportunity to eliminate employees and SMEs”.
