Greece became the first country in Europe this week to implement a six-day workweek. The decision has sparked controversy in Greece, with the government stating that it aims to significantly increase productivity, while labor unions strongly oppose the move.
According to a Greek law that came into effect on Monday (July 1st), private companies providing round-the-clock services can allow employees to choose between working an additional two hours per day or adding an eight-hour workday per week, with a 40% increase in daily wages.
This measure does not include workers in the food and tourism industries.
The pro-business government led by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated that this initiative is both “worker-friendly” and “growth-oriented,” designed to ensure that employees receive overtime compensation and also crack down on undeclared work.
The Greek government argues that the new measure is necessary due to the dual risks of population decline and a shortage of skilled workers. It is estimated that since the onset of the debt crisis in Greece at the end of 2009, nearly 500,000 Greeks have emigrated, with a large portion being educated young people, a situation unprecedented in the country.
However, labor unions and political observers strongly oppose this move, arguing that it goes against the global trend of companies exploring a shorter workweek.
Akis Sotiropoulos, a member of the Executive Committee of the Civil Servants’ Union in Greece (ADEDY), said, “This is senseless. While almost all other developed countries are moving towards a four-day workweek, Greece is going in the opposite direction.”
According to statistics compiled by the statistical office of the European Union, Eurostat, Greek workers on average work 41 hours per week, the highest in Europe.
Data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) also shows that Greek workers’ working hours are longer compared to workers in the United States, Japan, and the other 27 EU member countries.
Belgium passed legislation in 2022 giving employees the statutory right to work four days a week instead of five. Countries like the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, South Africa, and Canada have also initiated pilot programs for a four-day workweek.