Municipal workers planning rallies

Disgruntled municipal workers in the Greek capital will be staging a rally outside Parliament in downtown Athens on Monday at 11 a.m., as colleagues from around the country gather at their respective city halls on the third of a four-day nationwide strike that started on Saturday.

The protest launched by union POE-OTA is aimed at putting pressure on the government to give permanent jobs to thousands of short-term workers after the Court of Auditors last week ruled that extending fixed-term contracts is a violation of the Constitution.

The decision mainly affects cleaners and kindergarten workers who are often employed on successive fixed-term contracts to cover staff shortages, without enjoying the benefits of permanent status.

The action has also affected garbage collection, with authorities urging citizens to refrain from taking out their trash until the strike is over.