Working day: Greece approves a law extending working days to 6 to 13 hours per day

parliament Greece He approved a new labor law promoted by the conservative government that allows companies Enforce a sixth work day and change employee schedules to adapt to production needs.

The reform received the support of 158 deputies, out of a total of 300, obtained by the conservative New Democracy Party, led by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, after the elections that took place last June, while all opposition parties, from the extreme right to the radical left, voted against it. .

During a speech in Parliament before the vote, Labor Minister Adonis Georgiadis defended his draft law and stressed that… “It does not cancel the eight-hour day or the five-day (week).”

The government says that the law It makes the schedule more flexible to reduce unannounced work and overtime Thus protecting workers.

Reform allows workers They voluntarily have a second job, a maximum of five hours a day, in addition to their main activity of eight hours a day.

In addition, it stipulates that companies in various sectors can impose a sixth working day for workers They will receive an additional 40% on the daily salary.

Although the reform states that this can happen “in exceptional circumstances”, both unions and the opposition say that in practice, the law will make a six-day working week common, also taking into account “almost non-existent” inspections. On work.

As well as repair It offers contracts for “on-call employees” who would not have set working hours in practice, however They will work when their employer requests it, as long as they are notified at least 24 hours in advance.

to