The new Greek labour bill just passed by the Hellenic Parliament on 16 October, has introduced a range of changes for employees and businesses that have sparked strong political and union reactions.
A key amendment permits an employee to work up to 13 hours per day for a single employer, provided the employee consents, and in order to meet a businesses temporary needs. Previously, daily employment up to 13 hours was only allowed if the hours were split between two or more employers.
This extended schedule can’t applied daily. Rather, an employee may work 13 hours per day for a maximum of 37.5 days per year, which approximates to three working days per month. The labor law change also increases the daily overtime allowance from three hours to four hours.
The 13 hours in question are comprised of the standard 8-hour shift, plus 1 hour of excess work (with a 20% pay surcharge), and up to 4 hours of overtime (with a 40% pay surcharge for each hour).
Crucial safeguards remain—the employee’s consent is mandatory, and they are expressly protected from dismissal if they refuse to work overtime. The overall weekly work limit, including overtime, remains at 48 hours (averaged over a four-month period), and the compulsory 11-hour rest period between shifts must be maintained. Significantly, the regulation excludes supermarkets and factories.
Beyond the 13-hour rule, the bill also introduced the possibility for year-round four-day work weeks (10 hours per day) and the option for workers to request their annual leave be split into more periods, up to four different times within the year, if the employer agrees.
Labor unions, along with the Greek political opposition, reacted strongly, particularly to the provision allowing up to 13 hours of employment with a single employer. Opponents to this law argue that the overall objective of introducing labor “flexibility” transforms the labor market into a market of overwork.
Unions denounced the introduction of “fast-track recruitment,” for short contracts lasting up to two days per week, arguing that it amounts “legalizing precariousness,” and results in a lack of stability and reduced workers’ rights.
