Greece passes 13-hour workday law, sparking strikes and backlash
The new law allows longer shifts in the private sector with higher pay, but critics worry about exploitation despite government assurances
Greece’s parliament on Thursday approved a government-backed bill allowing people to work 13-hour days, despite fierce objections from trade unions and opposition parties.
Unions have staged two general strikes against the reform this month – the latest on Tuesday – with thousands of workers protesting against a measure “worthy of the Middle Ages”, according to the left-wing Syriza party.
Syriza refused to participate in the vote, and the spokesman for their parliamentary bloc Christos Giannoulis denounced the bill as a “legislative monstrosity”.
The government insists that the 13-hour workday is optional, only affects the private sector and can only be applied up to 37 days a year.
The new measure, which is now law and will come into force soon, allows workers to do longer days for a single employer – those with more than one employer could already work longer hours.
“We are now giving the possibility [to an employee] to perform this extra work for the same employer, without commuting, with increased pay of 40 per cent,” Labour Minister Niki Kerameus argued in parliament.