A union representing employees in local government entities, mainly municipalities, continued an industrial action on Wednesday, in opposition to draft legislation that mandates a majority of votes, by active union members, to approve industrial actions, as well as a provision that allows private contractors to collect garbage, maintain urban lighting and green spaces.
Rubbish has piled up around the greater Athens area, as the strike has affected routes by sanitation crews.
The current two-day nationwide strike affects workers in the specific municipal and regional government departments, although participation was reported as spotty around the country.
The specific union, POE-OTA, bitterly opposed any change in the current legal framework that would allow local governments to easily outsource garbage collection and other activities.
Nevertheless, the prospect of allowing private sector participation in the sector was repeatedly promised by the center-right New Democracy (ND) party, which won a general election in July and formed a majority government.
