A Council of Europe committee has declared Greek plans to reform labour laws illegal.

The reforms were aimed at cutting costs for Greek employers affected by the financial crisis but the European Committee of Social Rights has said they contravene the European Social Charter and amount to a violation of workers’ rights, according to Reuters.

This non-binding judgement, announced on Friday, is based on an appeal by Greek public sector trade unions and referred to measures adopted two years ago which allow for the extension of the ‘trial period’ in which workers could be dismissed without notice to one year and the reduction of the basic salary for under 25-year-olds to two-thirds of the national minimum wage.

The committee said a one-year trial period infringes a Charter clause which calls for workers to be given “reasonable” notice before their employment was terminated.

“This ruling establishes the illegality of the measures concerned which can be invoked in the national jurisdictions,” committee president Luis Jimena Quesada told reporters.

While the committee cannot enforce its findings, it can make recommendations to the Council of Ministers which can then adopt a resolution for corrective action.

The decision could also be used by local trade unions to mount a legal challenge in Greece.

The committee’s ruling comes the day after Athens was once again rocked by anti-austerity protests.

On Thursday, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets to protest against a new round of spending cuts – valued at an estimated €11.5 billion – which the Greek government needs to apply in order to receive the next instalment of bailout money.

Protesters launched rocks and petrol bombs at police, who responded with tear gas and stun grenades.

On the same day as the protests, Equal Times spoke to two young Greeks about life in the wake of the crisis.

Giorgos Sylligardos, an unemployed 32-year-old spoke of the great uncertainty ushered in by austerity measures.

“There is a whole generation of people who are unable to make dreams and plans for the future. Nobody knows what the next days will bring.”

NGO employee Areti Efthymiou said she hadn’t been paid for six months after the ministry of finance cut funding to her organization.