ATHENS: Greek trains, ferries and taxis were halted and protests were expected in the capital Athens on Wednesday during a one-day general strike against extended working hours.
The action was organized by Greece’s largest private and public trade unions to protest a government plan to extend a 13-hour working day cap now in effect for workers with two jobs to workers with one job. The rule is expected to pass in October, a labor ministry official said.
Unions say it will increase pressure on workers in Greece, which is emerging from the 2009-2018 debt crisis that slashed wages and pensions and caused unemployment to skyrocket. While Greece’s economy is recovering and living standards have improved after a series of pay increases, Greeks still trail their European peers in purchasing power on rising housing and food costs.
“We say no to a 13-hour workday. Working time is not a commodity. It’s our life,” the GSEE union, which represents about 2.5 million workers in the private sector, said in a statement ahead of the strike.
Workers are expected to gather in central Athens in the morning.
The government says the reform would apply only for up to 37 days a year, offer workers the chance to get 40 percent overtime payments and that it comes following employers and workers’ demands for a more flexible labor market.
Ferries, trains halted as Greece strikes over working hours
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Ferries, trains halted as Greece strikes over working hours
- Government plans to extend a 13-hour working day cap now in effect for workers with two jobs to workers with one job
- Unions say it will increase pressure on workers in Greece, which is emerging from the 2009-2018 debt crisis
Indonesia’s new state mosque to hold first Eid prayers this year
- Mosque is located in Nusantara Capital City on Borneo island, a $32bn project set for 2045 completion
- Famous sculptor Nyoman Nuarta designed mosque, other government structures in new capital
JAKARTA: The state mosque in Indonesia’s planned new capital city, Nusantara, will hold its inaugural Eid Al-Fitr prayer this year, as the $62 million facility opens for its first run of Ramadan programs.
The Indonesian government has plans to relocate the capital to Borneo island to replace the overcrowded and sinking Jakarta on Java island, with the $32 billion megaproject scheduled for completion in 2045.
With a capacity of about 60,000 people, the mosque in East Kalimantan opened to the public last month, at the beginning of Ramadan.
“This mosque symbolizes that we are building the Nusantara Capital City with careful attention to spiritual, social and environmental aspects,” Troy Pantouw, spokesperson for the Nusantara Capital City Authority — the agency overseeing the new capital city — told Arab News on Saturday.
“We will hold Eid Al-Fitr prayers here and we are hoping that it would mark a historic momentum of unity here at Nusantara Capital City.”
Locally known as Masjid Negara, construction of the state mosque began in 2024. Its design was spearheaded by Balinese sculptor Nyoman Nuarta at the request of former President Joko Widodo.
Nuarta is one of Indonesia’s most famous visual artists and creator of the country’s tallest statue, Garuda Wisnu Kencana, located in Bali.
The 72-year-old is also the designer behind other main structures in Nusantara, including the new state palace.
This Ramadan marked many firsts for Masjid Negara, including its first taraweeh on Feb. 18, which was attended by thousands of worshippers in East Kalimantan.
In the same complex where the state mosque is located, the government has plans to build Christian churches, and Buddhist, Hindu and Confucian temples.
Indonesia, home to the world’s largest population of Muslims, officially recognizes Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism as religions.
“A church is now being built in the complex, and in the future there will also be houses of worship belonging to other religions. This reflects Nusantara’s values of harmony and respect,” Pantouw said.
“From the start, this area was designed to represent inter-religious harmony. We want the Nusantara Capital City to stand as a concrete example of how physical developments can be parallel to efforts to build tolerance in society.”
