The General Confederation of Employees of Greece (GSEE), the largest umbrella trade union organisation for private sector staff, and the Association of Employee Consumers of Greece (EEKA) on Wednesday urged shop staff to go on strike and consumers to boycott the shops on July 16, as part of a campaign against Sunday opening for retail outlets in the country.
The shops are scheduled to open this Sunday, in line with legislation permitting the opening of shops for 32 Sundays a year, including during sales’ periods.
GSEE’s “no shopping-no working” campaign started on June 16 to oppose the legislation, which the union views as yet another blow to labour rights and to the viability of small business that cannot sustain the cost of opening on Sunday.
It predicted that large retail outlets and chains will take advantage of the system and force staff to give up their only day of leisure, often without the compensation envisaged under the law, while owners of smaller shops will also have to sacrifice their leisure and family time in order to retain a share of the market.
GSEE referred to studies and surveys showing that the opening of shops for seven Sundays a year in 2013 had failed to bring any of the predicted benefits – such as greater revenue or more jobs – while adversely impacting the lives of the workforce and earnings for businesses, especially smaller businesses whose turnover could not cover the cost of opening seven days a week.
Among others, GSEE claimed that employers had under-reported the hours worked by more than 80% of shop staff on Sunday, without giving them any extra pay or time off.
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Source: ANA-MPA
