The reform, approved this Friday thanks to the conservative majority in the Greek Parliament, allows companies to sixth working day, on Saturdays or Sundays and change employee schedules 24 hours in advance to tailor them to production needs.
Approved by law 158 seatsOf the total 300 people present after last June’s election, conservative New Democracy said the prime minister’s Kyriakos MitsotakisAll opposition parties, from the far right to the radical left, voted against it.
The reform was made possible by workers voluntarily second job, up to five hours per day, including main activities eight hours a dayexpanding to the maximum thirteen hours a day.
It also regulates that companies in various sectors can switch to the sixth working day application. workers will receive an additional 40 percent based on daily rate.
Likewise, it brings contracts. “call workers” In practice, they will not have a fixed schedule, but will work when required by their employer, provided they are notified at least 24 hours in advance.
Yesterday, Thursday, thousands of people all over Greece protested the new law and organized a 24-hour strike. MOQTrade unions from various sectors also joined the Civil Servants Union.
According to them, the law will eliminate the last remaining elements. workers rights The remaining five days in Greece are like eight-hour days.
The reform also allows companies that adopt a digital registration system to time control They will not need to register workday or overtime changes in advance on the Government electronic platform, as has been the case so far.
According to the government, this will reduce excessive consumption. Administrative burden of companies, He argues that working hours are already recorded in each company’s internal systems.
However, without this state control, unions are manipulate programs and you will be exempt from overtime pay.
Workers’ representatives warn that the reform plans to strengthen labor inspections, a service that is already facing a problem major staff shortage.
Speaking in the Parliament before the vote, the Minister of Labor said, Adonis Georgiadis, He defended his bill, assuring that “it eliminates neither the eight-hour day nor the five-day (week).”
“Today labor market “This is a forest” said Georgiadis, emphasizing that the law eliminates this irregularity and makes the schedule more flexible in order to reduce work and undeclared overtime and thus protect workers.
The law also requires that all individual contracts between employer and employee be published in one document. Government digital platform and will make it possible for the first time to sign these contracts electronically.
This is not the first time a government led by Mitsotakis has implemented this practice. job changes which provokes social protest.
In 2021 the previous Government introduced a bill to eliminate the maximum limit. working eight hours a dayAlthough the 40 hours a week is respected.
The reform, which was approved thanks to the absolute majority that New Democracy had at the time, also extended his term of office. annual overtime A maximum of 120 to 150 is allowed.