Unions renew labor battle
Between 10,000 and 20,000 protesters marched in Thessaloniki on Saturday, while the prime minister was delivering his annual keynote economic speech, to voice their opposition to policies they claimed exploit workers. In a demonstration organized by the country’s two largest unions, GSEE and ADEDY, workers marched through Thessaloniki chanting, «No privileges for capital, no austerity for workers.» Unionists were picking up where they had left off in the summer with their protests against the government’s labor reforms. «This gathering sends a message to the government to change its policy but also to employers to stop the extreme exploitation of workers,» said GSEE President Christos Polyzogopoulos. The head of ADEDY, Spyros Papaspyrou, called for the union movement to renew itself and become less focused on political party allegiances and more on the needs of workers. ADEDY said it would hold a 24-hour strike during October.
