In Greece, many employees in industry, retail and agriculture will have to operate a 6 day workweek from next month, Deutsche Welle reports.
In most European countries, trade unions are fighting to reduce working hours without cutting wages. The 35-hour or four-day workweek limits overtime, thus forcing employers to hire extra staff. However, Greece’s minimum wage (€830) and the six-day workweek law do not align with the common position of most trade unions in Europe.
Officially, the 40-hour workweek is still in force, with employers allowed to require employees to work up to two unpaid hours a day for a limited period of time in exchange for more free time. In theory, this extra work is optional, but in reality, workers in many businesses and workplaces are to work longer hours without receiving any compensation.
Therefore, from 1 July, many workers in industry, retail, agriculture and some service sectors will have to switch to a six-day workweek if their employers deem it necessary. In addition, the supplement of 40 per cent of the daily wage will become payable for the sixth day of work.
In fact, even before the six-day workweek law came into force, Greek workers still work longer hours than any other labour force in Europe. According to the EU statistical agency Eurostat, with an average of 41 hours per week, they work more than all other EU citizens. In addition, the pay they receive for these overtime hours is low by European standards.
After 15 years of recession and austerity, and three bailout packages with harsh conditions all together, labour in Greece is no longer strictly regulated. Aris Kazakos, professor emeritus of labour law in Thessaloniki and a renowned legal expert, warns of the detrimental effects of giving employers absolute power in labour relations. He argues that since employers have the right to require employees to work a sixth day a week, employees cannot refuse to work. Kazakos favours collective wage agreements, which, however, have become increasingly limited by legislation passed by the ruling Conservative New Democracy (ND) government.
When it comes to individual negotiations, the employer holds absolutely all the cards and can dictate practically any conditions he wishes, with the exception of the minimum rights stipulated in labor law. (…) Because the employer can dictate working conditions that are beneficial for him, this automatically means that labor relations become a regime of injustice, because anything in labor relations that benefits only one side can never been just.
He cautioned the burden of the six-day workweek increases the safety risks for staff in industrial sectors. Even now, Greece has a high rate of industrial accidents. In 2023, 179 workers died in industrial accidents, up from 104 the year before. The risks also lie in the fact that low wages, limited career opportunities and increasingly long working hours without decent compensation encourage many Greeks to seek work abroad, hence the problem is a vicious cycle.
The official reason for the introduction of the six-day workweek is the shortage of skilled workers in the Greek labour market. The law means overtime work will become cheaper for employers, who will not have to hire more staff.
