Posted on 07/02/2024 9:41:27 AM PDT by algore
Greece has controversially introduced a six-day working week for some businesses in a bid to boost productivity and employment in the southern European country.
The regulation, which came into force on July 1, bucks a global trend of companies exploring a shorter working week.
Under the new legislation, which was passed as part of a broader set of labor laws last year, employees of private businesses that provide round-the-clock services will reportedly have the option of working an additional two hours per day or an extra eight-hour shift.
The change means a traditional 40-hour workweek could be extended to 48 hours per week for some businesses. Food service and tourism workers are not included in the six-day working week initiative.
The pro-business government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has said the measure is both “worker-friendly” and “deeply growth-orientated.” It is designed to support employees not being sufficiently compensated for overtime work and to help crack down on the problem of undeclared labor.
Labor unions and political observers have sharply criticized the move.
A spokesperson for Greece’s embassy in London was not immediately available to comment when contacted by CNBC.
Workers in Greece work more than those in the U.S., Japan and others in the 27-member EU, according to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Greek employees were found to have worked an average of 1,886 hours in 2022, more than the U.S. average of 1,811 and the EU average of 1,571.
“Greek people already work the longest hours per week in Europe. Now they may be forced to work a sixth day, after this Greek [government] decision,” John O’Brennan, professor of EU Law from Maynooth University, Ireland, said via social media platform X on Monday.
There ain’t no free lunch. In the real world, under the yellow sun, the workers will simply distribute their work among the 6 days and take more days off.
The idea that they will get another full day of productivity comes from some Harvard MBA fever swamp mentality.
Zorba won’t like this...
Actually, most EU countries and countries throughout the world typically had a 6 day work week before 1926... When Henry Ford introduced the 5 day work week.
Six day work-week, and work until 69, while welfare recipients take what we produce through the coercive force of government.
Hell no!
Agreed. If I understand this article correctly, it’s allowing more free market on labor. Before the new change, an employer could not work employees more than 5 days/week. Now they’re allowed to ask their employees to work 6 days.
LOL
My granddad worked 12hr/day 7 days a week, 1/2 day off on Sunday. All for $150/month. Good pay for the time.
Ford paid $5/day - and the press went wild.
Meanwhile some US states are moving toward a four day work week. See https://tech.co/news/us-states-4-day-week Gee, how’s that going to work out for our competitiveness? (Hint: not good.) Five days is perfect. People need time to recharge. Although if you own parts of some small businesses as I do, my work week is seven days...
Better to work 80 hours a week for yourself then 40 for someone else.
AGREE!!!
Let’s see. 40 hours/wk X 50 weeks =2000 hours of work. An extra week of personal days off is not too much overwork. I averaged 500 hours a year of overtime and got paid well for it. With some guys it didn’t matter how much they would get paid. They would not volunteer.
It would be nice to require 2000 hours of work before any government assistance was given to those in poverty. The top earners would be happy to pay taxes that support those who are doing their part. The trick is to gut the government and reward the lower-salaried with cash, not programs. Do it on a year to year basis.
A 1% income tax to record what one earns(times 100). Proof of employment through paycheck stubs(she as paper ballots).
They need to remove the regulations and barriers to self employment in Greece. When I was on vacation there I made friends with several Greeks who were very educated, very ambitious, but stuck working waiter type jobs or working in small family shops. And the only reason the restaurants and shops were in business is they were established before the crazy left wingers. Even more left wing.
I told them how I started a business with a computer, software, and a a few busted up machines. I explained how we can write off everything, and how even my trip to Greece was a write off for part of it. I didn’t need any crazy licenses, minimal regulations, just a cheap business license for the county and insurance for my rental building. They were amazed how easy it was and told me how they have to go through a dozen local bureaucrats, the federal bureaucrats, and the worst of all, EU bureaucrats. The younger college educated people made more money living off welfare so that’s why there are so many “student protests.” They have nothing to do, no pride, and get paid for it anyway.
Great country. But what should have been announced is, “we are freeing up the labor rules so you can work as much as you want and the government will not pay any welfare.”
Like Mexico—unless you work for the government.
I’m just amused that a business owner needs national govt approval to ask an employee to work some overtime.
France went to 35 hour work week in 2000. And since they’re inherently lazy, you don’t get close to that much work out of them. Close up shop in France and you have o pay FU money in severance and pension.
Exodus 20:9 SIX DAYS YOU SHALL LABOR AND DO ALL YOUR WORK.
Exodus 20:10 But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter; your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your livestock, nor the stranger within your gates
No mention of spring break or vacation nor of retirement.
They work in Greece ?
>>>Exodus 20:10 But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter; your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your livestock, nor the stranger within your gates>>>>
It says “THE” Seventh day. Not “A” Seventh day. God made “THE” Seventh day holy at creation and nobody can change that. It is is seal of authority as creator and that is why it is in the 10 commandments. His authority to make the moral law as creator. The attempted change of the seventh day by a counterfeit antiChrist power was prophecied in Daniel...Daniel 7:25. Read the Catechism......she not only changed it from the 4th commandment to the 3rd....she attempted to change the day itself from the seventh to the first. It’s all been prophecied and her wound has healed and soon......the world will marvel after her again.
And she is exalting Sunday more and more....climate change, church, etc.
Yep - I know companies that don’t hire anyone in France and will not open offices there, precisely because of this.
They decided to stop being so lazy like the Euroslobs who won’t pay for their own defense
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