Whereas international locations all over the world are exploring the thought of shorter work weeks, Greece has taken what many individuals might imagine is a shocking step in the other way. In an effort to spice up productiveness, the nation has carried out a compulsory six-day workweek for sure workers.
This transfer comes regardless of Greece’s latest financial restoration following its monetary disaster. Nonetheless, the federal government argues {that a} shrinking inhabitants and lack of expert employees threaten this progress. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has known as the demographic shift a “ticking timebomb.” Many younger Greeks have emigrated in recent times, leaving a big labour hole.
The brand new legislation solely applies to particular personal companies that function 24/7. Staff in these sectors could have the choice to work an additional two hours per day or an extra eight-hour shift. To incentivize these further hours, the federal government is providing a 40 p.c pay enhance on the day by day wage.
The federal government claims this initiative will deal with the issues of unpaid time beyond regulation and undeclared work. Nonetheless, critics, together with labour unions, are sceptical. They concern that is the top of the normal five-day workweek, with employers primarily dictating a compulsory sixth day.
The UK’s CIPD has criticised the transfer. “This can be a vital backward step,” says Ben Willmott, head of public coverage. Longer working weeks don’t give individuals time to adequately relaxation and recharge and will negatively impression their wellbeing and their skill to work productively.
“The main target for bettering productiveness needs to be on smarter working, somewhat than growing work depth or longer working hours. This implies organisations investing extra in know-how and folks administration and improvement functionality. Enhancements to individuals administration practices and accountable adoption of AI and different types of know-how even have the potential to reinforce job high quality and enhance individuals’s work-life stability.”
Greek unions say the reform is an erosion of employee protections and a rollback of hard-won rights. They argue that higher productiveness comes from improved working situations and the next high quality of life for workers, which they imagine ought to translate to much less hours labored, no more.
They level out that Greece already has the longest working hours in Europe, averaging 41 hours per week. Unions level out that regardless of these lengthy hours, Greek employees are paid considerably lower than their European counterparts. This disparity, they argue, is fuelling the mind drain of younger, educated Greeks.
Pensioners have additionally been drawn into the talk. The federal government’s encouragement for them to work below this new legislation has been met with criticism. Critics argue that that is merely an try to take advantage of low-cost labour, notably given the low common month-to-month wage in Greece.
Picture: From “Penelope then through the day she wove the massive internet, which at evening she unravelled, The Odyssey”, Thomas Seddon 1852