A law that allows a six-day work week comes into force in Greece, which is a tourist country. Opponents of this decision have already started protests, writes The Guardian, quoted by FOCUS.
It is noted that the country, which was at the epicenter of the continent's worst financial crisis, introduced a 48-hour working week. The measure, which unions called "barbaric," came into force on July 1.
The Greek government explains that such an initiative was necessary due to the double threat of population decline and a lack of skilled workers. An estimated 500,000 mostly young, educated Greeks have emigrated from the country since the nearly decade-long debt crisis that erupted in late 2009.
The six-day scheme, officials said, will only apply to private companies providing 24-hour services. With an extended working week, workers in certain industries and manufacturing enterprises will have the option of working an additional two hours per day or an additional eight-hour shift, which will be rewarded with an additional payment of 40% of the daily wage.
At the same time, the reaction in the country was sharp. In Greece, where there is little tradition of workplace inspections, critics say the reform is a death blow to the five-day work week. This allows employers to dictate whether a sixth working day is required.
Opponents, who have already taken to the streets to protest, say the reform undermines legal protections and abrogates long-established workers' rights: "It doesn't make any sense. When almost all other civilized countries are moving to a four-day work week, Greece decided to go the other way,'' says Akis Sotiropoulos, a member of the executive committee of the civil servants trade union 'Adedi'.
It has been noted that trials of four-day work week programs have repeatedly shown increased levels of productivity, with researchers attributing this to improved levels of concentration. Belgium passed legislation in 2022 giving workers the legal right to spread their working week over four days instead of five, and pilot schemes have been rolled out in countries including the UK, Germany, Japan, South Africa and Canada.