"I can't work 13 hours a day, and I don't expect that from my employees," says Anni, who owns a beauty salon by the name of "64" in Pagrati, central Athens. She doubts any of her clients would be satisfied with the work of an exhausted beautician either. That is why she wonders why Greek Labor Minister Niki Kerameos wants to create the legal foundation for a 13-hour workday.

Kerameos has told reporters that this is merely about allowing exceptions on 37 days a year "in the interests of employees."

Greek labor unions, meanwhile, reject the minister's plans and are trying to overturn the bill, which will soon be introduced in parliament. They have called for a general strike on October 1 and want to bring Greece to a grinding halt: No ships will leave the ports, planes will remain grounded and no trains will be running.

Six-day work week

Under Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Greece's conservative government has transformed the country's labor market into one of the most "flexible" in Europe. Since July 2024, employees in industry, retail, agriculture and some service sectors have been forced to work six-day weeks if that's what their employer wants. They are, however, paid an extra 40% on top of their ordinary wage for the sixth working day.

The 40-hour week still applies in Greece, but employers are allowed to demand up to two hours of unpaid overtime per day for a limited period in return for more time off. In theory, this overtime is voluntary, though in many companies, employees are forced to work longer hours without receiving extra compensation.

The 13-hour workday should also be voluntary, says Minister Kerameos, with no one obliged to work overtime.

Longer working hours could harm productivity

But will an employee really refuse to do overtime when asked by an employer? Theodoros Koutroukis, a professor of labor relations at Democritus University of Thrace, doubts it.

"This is not possible without consequences, because the employee only has minimal bargaining power," says Koutroukis.

He warns that the new legislation will not have a positive impact on the labor market. Koutroukis says extending daily working hours will reduce employees' job satisfaction and productivity. This, in turn, could lead to a deterioration in the quality of goods and services and even increase unit labor costs. In addition, Koutroukis says, extended working hours could affect employees' work-life balance, and limit their ability to spend time getting professional training.

Koutroukis also warns that extending possible daily working hours does not do anything to deepen the relationship between workers and employers overall. He instead suggests allowing for additional working hours only for short periods in exceptional cases where it appears necessary for a certain industry. This arrangement, Koutroukis says, could be agreed upon between employers and employees through the mechanism of collective bargaining.

Further liberalizations planned

Kerameos' draft bill also proposes a "flexible" distribution of vacation days, the flexible and short-term allocation of 120 minutes of overtime per day, and the ability to reach employees via an app. A four-day week with a 40-hour working week would also be possible. All these changes are being proposed to fulfill "urgent company needs."

Minister Kerameos has been raving about the envisioned labor market reform, praising it for "adapting [Greek] legislation to reality." 

Labor market experts, on the other hand, say the move legalizes all labor rights violations that have been committed by employers.

Many Greeks are forced to work two jobs due to low wages. If the new labor market bill is passed, Greeks will be able to work 13 hours a day for a single employer.

"If you can do this with two employers, i.e. take your motorcycle and change your workplace, why shouldn't you have the opportunity to do this with one employer, and earn an additional 40%," wonders Kerameos.

This raises the question why so many Greeks cannot live on their 40-hour jobs and have to rely on overtime or two jobs to make ends meet. Eurostat, the European Union's statistical office, reports that Greeks work 1,886 hours per year, more than any other European nation. Yet despite this, Greeks have lower productivity — perhaps because they work so much — and lower purchasing power (30% below the European Union average) than most Europeans. So although the Greeks are already working many hours, the government wants to increase their workload even more.

Greek trade unions up in arms

Greek trade union federation GSEE rejects the planned 13-hour workday. The upcoming labor rights protest in Athens will be held under the motto of "exhaustion is not recovery, human resilience has limits."

GSEE is campaigning to reduce working hours to 37.5 hours per week, as is already the case in many European countries.

In its call for a general strike on October 1, the GSEE leadership takes a defiant tone: "Greek workers, who already work more hours per year than any of their colleagues in the European Union, and many of whom report suffering from burnout and overwork, are facing a dystopia. Enough is enough. We can't take it anymore."

Whether this strike will avert the 13-hour working day remains to be seen. In any case, Greece appears to be moving towards further labor market liberalization at a time when many people in the European Union are demanding a 35-hour or four-day work week.

This article was translated from German