“Greece decides to do the opposite” of European countries and introduces a six-day working week in certain companies

Le Premier ministre Kyriakos Mitsotakis assure qu’il s’agit d’une mesure “favorable aux travailleurs” et “profondément orientée vers la croissance”. MAXPPP – OLIVIER MATTHYS

Depuis le 1er juillet 2024, une loi permet aux entreprises grecques privées de proposer à leurs salariés de travailler deux heures de plus par jour ou une journée supplémentaire de huit heures, moyennant une majoration salariale.

Since July 1, 2024 in Greece, a law allows private companies in certain sectors to offer their employees to work 48 hours over six days. While several European countries are debating the introduction of the four-day week.

The new legislation allows employers to offer employees to work two more hours per day or an additional eight-hour day. In return, employees benefit from a 40% salary increase on the sixth day worked. But only private companies that offer 24-hour services and those with increased workloads.

For unions, “this makes no sense”, Akis Sotiropoulos, a member of the executive committee of civil servants' union Adedy, told the Guardian, before adding: "While almost all other civilized countries establish a four-day week, Greece decides to do the opposite" .

A "worker-friendly"measure

For its part, the government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis assures that this is a measure "favorable to workers& quot; and "deeply oriented towards growth", reports the British daily.

According to the executive, the six-day week would make it possible to resolve the problem of unpaid overtime and tackle undeclared work. It would also be able to respond to the economic challenges of the country which is suffering in particular from a reduction in its population and a low level of productivity.

"In reality, this measure was adopted by a government that is ideologically committed to generating ever greater profits for capital. Better productivity comes with better working conditions, a better quality of life and this, we now know, comes down to fewer working hours and not more, develops Akis Sotiropoulos who debunks the government's arguments.