Greece has introduced a six-day working week to boost productivity amid a shrinking population and a shortage of skilled workers.
This measure, effective today, Monday, extends the workweek to 48 hours, a move decried by unions as “barbaric” and even sparked protests, with thousands demonstrating in Athens.
Critics argue the measures benefit capital at the expense of workers’ rights.
Unions fear the six-day workweek will further exploit workers, particularly as trade union power has waned since the debt crisis.
The reform package also increased the maximum daily working time to 13 hours and allows employers to terminate workers without notice or compensation for up to a year.
Additionally, it introduces fines and jail terms for obstructing employees from working during strikes.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s pro-business government implemented this change as part of broader labour reforms. The government claims the “worker-friendly” law will address unpaid overtime and undeclared work, aligning Greece with other European nations.
“It brings Greece in line with the rest of Europe,” Mitsotakis said.
Mitsotakis has cited a demographic “ticking timebomb with around 500,000 young, educated Greeks emigrating since the 2009 debt crisis”.
The six-day workweek applies to private businesses providing round-the-clock services. This includes select industries and manufacturing facilities but excludes tourism and hospitality.
Employees can work an additional two hours per day or an extra eight-hour shift, with a 40 per cent wage increase for the extra shift or 115 per cent if worked on Sunday.
Unions and critics argue the reform undermines workers’ rights and erodes the five-day workweek, The Guardian reported.
Akis Sotiropoulos, of the civil servants’ union Adedy, stated, “Better productivity comes with better work conditions and a better quality of life, which means fewer hours, not more.”
While Greece extends its working week, other European nations are experimenting with shorter workweeks.
Belgium, Iceland, and the UK have trialed or legislated four-day workweeks, showing increased productivity and happier workers.
In France, the standard work week is 35 hours, a regulation established in 2000 during Prime Minister Lionel Jospin’s administration. Recently, there has been momentum to reduce it even further to 32 hours.
Similarly, in the United States, there is growing demand for shorter workweeks. Many companies are experimenting with a reduced workweek as employees seek more flexibility. Research indicates that working fewer hours can increase productivity and boost company profits.
In March, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont introduced a bill to reduce the U.S. workweek from 40 hours to 32, ensuring that workers’ overall compensation remains unaffected.
Greece has the highest emigration rate in the EU, with significant economic challenges since the 2007-09 global recession. Greeks already work the longest hours in Europe but are among the lowest paid. The government has raised the minimum wage to €830 and aims to increase it to €950 by 2027, with an average wage increase to €1,500.
