Greek nurses protest working hour violations and exclusion from legislative talks

The Panhellenic Trade Union Federation of Nursing Personnel (PASONOP) has issued complaints regarding the management of nursing staff within the Greek National Health System (ESY). The federation alleges that hospital administrations and directors are unilaterally altering working hours, which they claim violates labor rights and existing legislation (Law 1157/1981) that mandates central authority for setting schedules.

PASONOP asserts that chronic nursing shortages are being used as a pretext to deviate from standard shift patterns, leading to staff exhaustion. Furthermore, the federation has condemned the Ministry of Health for its perceived inaction and for excluding nursing representatives from parliamentary discussions regarding new healthcare legislation. The union claims that the Committee on Social Affairs ignored their representatives, instead recognizing only a specific professional association, which PASONOP describes as a tactic to silence dissenting voices and undermine substantive dialogue.