Controversial six-day workweek begins for some Greek businesses

The government hopes the new law will help tackle black market labour and boost employment.

Transcript

00:00Starting this month, people working in certain Greek businesses could have to work for up

00:07to 48 hours a week. The new labor law allows more private sector companies to impose a

00:12six-day work week on their employees. This includes 24-7 services for businesses that

00:17face an extraordinary workload.

00:21Any employer can impose a six-day work week on you and tell you that you can't do anything

00:26else. We are in Greece.

00:29We are going back to times that are decades old and have nothing to offer. The fact that

00:37all businesses are under-employed will not solve this problem, because that is the issue.

00:43Many Greek employees are angry about the new rule, arguing that it takes the country back

00:48to the days of limited labor rights. People are also pointing out that other countries

00:52have introduced a four-day work week.

01:12While those working a sixth day will get an extra 40% pay, or 115% more if it's a Sunday,

01:19most people, especially the young, prioritize their health and work-life balance.

01:42As most economists believe, the biggest problem of the Greek economy is not the total

01:55working time of the employees, but the productivity of this work. According to the European Commission,

02:02the nominal productivity per hour of work in Greece is about 40% lower than the average

02:09in Europe. This is accompanied by a series of factors. Lack of investments, mainly in

02:14new technologies, human resources without the necessary skills and extensive bureaucracy

02:20that burden Greek entrepreneurship.

02:23The average working week in Greece is the highest in the EU with 39.8 hours per week, followed

02:28by Poland and Cyprus. The European average is 36.1 hours per week, while the fewest hours

02:33are worked in the Netherlands with 32.2 hours.

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