Clause to stop illegal strikes

The government is hoping to rebuild the post-pandemic economy on a solid foundation, boosted not only by billions of euros in European Union resources but also from changes in the way the economy operates. As the economic outlook keeps improving, with growth projections upgraded again, the government also intends to ease the strain of constant industrial action on the economy.

To this end, Labor Minister Kostis Hatzidakis intends to change the rules for calling a strike. Speaking to Antenna television on Saturday, he said that he will amend legislation allowing primary unions (in a certain company) to resort to a secondary one when their industrial action is found to be illegal and abusive by a court.

His announcement comes in the wake of last week’s work stoppage by a small union of Athens metro workers who managed to stage the action they had planned even though a court hearing a complaint by Attiko Metro deemed it illegal. The union went on to call the work stoppage again through the Athens workers’ union, a second-level body, leading to problems in public transportation and traffic jams in the Greek capital.

Meanwhile, the outlook for the economy as it emerges from the lockdown keeps improving, with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) projecting on Monday 3.8% growth this year (up from a previous forecast for 3.4% in March) followed by a further 5% expansion in 2022.

The OECD anticipates a further reduction of unemployment in Greece and expects its gross domestic product to have reverted to its pre-pandemic levels by mid-2022.

Finance Minister Christos Staikouras welcomed the findings of the OECD report, saying that it is “another sign of confidence on the government’s economic policy and the outlook of the Greek economy.”

Staikouras also noted that the report confirmed that the national recovery and resilience plan (“Greece 2.0”) comprises several measures that could act as tools to boost productivity, strengthen environmental sustainability and improve the business climate in the country.