Hundreds of hospital employees in Greece held a five-hour work stoppage Thursday to protest a government decision making vaccination against COVID-19 mandatory for all health care workers in the public and private sector.
The national union of public hospital employees, POEDHN, declared a general strike from 10 a.m to 3 p.m on Thursday, calling on staff across the country to take to the streets.
“We are not against vaccination, we are against compulsory vaccination,” an ambulance worker told Sputnik.
“We will not leave defenseless the health care and social care workers who have a personal right to vaccination,” the union said. “Patients are not at risk of catching the coronavirus from health care workers. Hospitals are filling up again with patients suffering from the coronavirus which they caught in the community.”
The measures, which will be in effect from Sept. 13 until March 31, include mandatory weekly or twice-weekly testing for unvaccinated public and private sector workers, and indoor access to venues such as restaurants, bars, cafes and entertainment venues allowed only for those with a certificate of vaccination or recent recovery.
Forsided, 26.08.2021