GSEE to hold 24-hr general strike on Feb. 23

The General Confederation of Employees of Greece (GSEE), Greece’s largest umbrella trade union organisation representing the private sector, has decided to hold a 24-hour general strike on February 23, with a rally starting at 11:00 a.m. the same day at Pedion tou Areos in Athens.

The decision to hold the strike was made during a meeting of GSEE’s Executive Committee on Monday, after a lengthy discussion of the problems faced by workers, pensioners and unemployed.

GSEE is holding the strike to demand the signing of sector collective labour agreements, prevent dismissals, prevent occasional and other forms of flexible employment, demand action against high prices and protest against the drastic reduction of purchasing power of workers and pensioners.

The union federation also wants to put a stop to special company agreements using the pretext of the crisis, prevent policies for further cutbacks in supplementary pensions and ensure that collective agreements are respected, as well as labour rights and the state-owned status of public utilities and companies.