Athens: Greece’s main opposition party Syriza declared on Tuesday that the recent implementation of a six-day working week for specific companies was a “disgrace”.
The policy was enacted by Greece’s right-wing ruling New Democracy party in early July.
Since the late 2000s financial crisis, Greece has encountered a scarcity of skilled workers, prompting many young people to seek better opportunities abroad.
However, the policy has drawn significant domestic and international scrutiny for diverging from the trends in many Western countries, where there is ongoing debate about implementing a four-day work week to enhance productivity.
“Such things are unacceptable. The government must understand that this policy has consequences,” said Syriza spokesperson Voula Kehagia on private television channel Skai.
Kehagia remarked that the policy “shamed the country” by “ridiculing it abroad.”
The six-day working week applies exclusively to specific companies, including those operating around the clock, seven days a week.
Employees will receive a minimum of 40 percent additional pay for their work on the sixth day. Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis underscored on Facebook that the measure aims to meet “emergency needs” with “qualified personnel.”
Athens stated that the initiative aims to tackle undeclared labor and alleviate labor shortages worsened by a declining population. Despite Greece having the longest average working week in the European Union at 39.8 hours last year, their productivity was below the EU average, as reported by Eurostat.
