Greece hit by 24-hour general strike over labor reform plans

A nationwide general strike brought much of Greece to a standstill on Wednesday, tying ferries to port and severely disrupting public transportation in Athens as public and private sector workers protested proposed changes to labor laws. The 24-hour walkout halted taxi and train services in the capital, left bus, subway, tram and trolley services running on reduced schedules, and affected schools, courts, public hospitals and municipal offices across the country.

Unions representing civil servants and private-sector workers called the strike to oppose a package of labor reforms that they say would increase employers' ability to require overtime and extend working days. Under the reforms, overtime could allow shifts to reach 13 hours in a day, with total working hours including overtime capped at 48 hours per week and a maximum 150 overtime hours allowed per year, according to government summaries of the changes. Union leaders contend the rules increase the risk of labor abuses and reduce worker protections.

"We say no to the 13-hour shift. Exhaustion is not development, human tolerance has limits," the private-sector umbrella union, the General Confederation of Workers of...