The strike has been called by the Greek Federation
of Workers in the Food, Milk, and Drinks Industry and is backed by local
branches all over Greece. Workers are
demanding a Collective Labor Agreement (CLA), dictating a minimum wage of 940
euros for 2025, a five-day workweek with an 8-hour shift, hygiene and safety
measures, and a series of allowances. Larisa,
in central Greece, is one of the most important fruit and vegetable growing
regions, specializing in apples and pears, among other products. It has about 40
large sorting and conservation companies, two of which belong to companies with
international productive activity. Mr. Kleanthis Kaliampas, president of
the local food workers' branch, says: "We
have not had a CLA for 15 years now. There were talks between our
federation and the industries' association from April to November 2024, but the
employers were constantly rejecting our demands. Therefore, we decided to call
for a nationwide strike. Since the negotiations began last year, we also demand
a retroactive wage increase to 890 euros for 2024."
Workers are
also set to strike in Achaia, where at least 20 large companies are dedicated
to strawberries, lemons, and potatoes, among other products. "People here
work for 3-4 months in hotels and the remaining months in food companies. Among
them, there are many immigrants from Bangladesh. Lately, workers from Nepal
have also started arriving because of interstate agreements. All these people
work under various regimens. We demand
the CLA to be mandatory for everyone, no matter where they come from, what
their specific task is, or the period of time they work in this sector. We
also demand proper housing conditions for the immigrant workers. They reside in
literally despicable conditions," highlights Mr. Yorgos Stathopoulos,
president of the local food workers' district.
The upcoming strike will also affect Imathia and
Pella, two key regions for the Greek fruit and vegetable trade, as more than
100 packing and exporting companies are gathered there, dealing not only with
locally grown products, such as kiwifruit, but also with products grown in
southern Greece, such as citrus. Mr. Dimitris Digkas, president of the local food
workers' union, highlights the seasonality of the work, adding to the demands
of the strike the unemployment benefit registration for all workers, without
any terms or conditions. "If
employers do not satisfy our demands, we are ready to escalate our actions. We
do not take a step back from what we need and from our rights," the
syndicalist stresses.