Greece approves 13-hour workdays in private sector

Greece’s parliament on Thursday approved a government-backed law permitting employers in the private sector to extend the working day to 13 hours under specified conditions, a move that prompted widespread protests and two general strikes this month. Lawmakers debated the bill for two days before passing it, and the measure is expected to come into force soon, officials said.

The legislation allows a single employer to roster longer shifts for an individual worker for up to 37 days per year, with additional pay. Labour Minister Niki Kerameus told parliament that the change gives employees the option to perform extra work for the same employer, "without commuting, with increased pay of 40 percent." The government frames the reform as an effort to make Greece’s labour market more flexible and to help firms in sectors such as tourism that face seasonal staffing shortages.

Opposition parties and unions condemned the reform, arguing it undermines workers’ rights and could exacerbate exploitation amid a cost-of-living crisis and historically low wages. The leftwing Syriza party refused to participate in the vote, and its parliamentary spokesman Christos Giannoulis described the bill...