While many are testing the four-day week, Greece is getting into the ” Work more to earn more “, up to 48 hours per week. In Greece, a new law came into force on Monday, July 1, allowing a greater number of employers to work six days per week. Supposed to improve productivity and combat undeclared work, the measure by the liberal government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis has angered unions.
1 min
With our correspondent in Athens, Joel Bronner
While some Western European countries, such asGermany, but also of the Franceregularly question the advisability of introducing a four-day working week, the Greeceshe tends to take the opposite direction.
Read alsoGreece: Large-scale strike movement against a draft law on labor
Under certain conditions, the six-day week was already a reality for Greeks working in the tourism or catering sector. Since Monday, this new measure has also affected employees of companies that operate 24 hours a day and those that can prove a ” work overload “.
In this case, the sixth day is paid to the employee 40% more than a normal day. And even more if this day is a Sunday or a public holiday.
For Athens, it is about fighting against undeclared work and helping companies that are struggling to keep their teams working. The cause, among other things, is the shortage of qualified workers. In a country that has been permanently impoverished by a decade of economic crisis, the opposition daily Efsyn gets annoyed: “The high cost of living and low wages are forcing employees to accept a sixth day of work. To the detrimentconcludes the daily, of their quality of life “.