Portugal Colonial - Greece lawmakers back plan to allow 13-hour workday

Unions have staged two general strikes against the reform this month -- the latest on Tuesday -- with thousands of workers protesting against a measure "worthy of the Middle Ages", according to the left-wing Syriza party.

Syriza refused to participate in the vote, and the spokesman for their parliamentary bloc Christos Giannoulis denounced the bill as a "legislative monstrosity".

The government insists that the 13-hour workday is optional, only affects the private sector and can only be applied up to 37 days a year.

The new measure, which is now law and will come into force soon, allows workers to do longer days for a single employer -- those with more than one employer could already work longer hours.

"We are now giving the possibility (to an employee) to perform this extra work for the same employer, without commuting, with increased pay of 40 percent," Labour Minister Niki Kerameus argued in parliament.

- 'Unbalanced power dynamics' -

Kerameus insisted that nobody could be forced to work longer hours.

But protesters and unions disagreed, arguing that workers will risk being laid off if they decline.

"You can't really refuse; they always find ways to impose what they want," said Maria, a 46-year-old construction company employee protesting in Thessaloniki on Tuesday.

The General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE) highlighted the "unbalanced power dynamics between employer and employee" and the precariousness of the job market.

The Greek economy has recovered since the sovereign debt crisis pushed the country to the brink, but wages are still relatively low for a European country.

The reform is pitched as a measure to help employers in the service sector, who can struggle to find additional staff during the busy summer tourism season.

The legal working day in Greece is eight hours with paid overtime of three hours permissible -- but workers have the right to 11 hours rest each day.

Critics of the measure believe that commuting times, in addition to longer hours, will make it impossible for workers to get 11 hours rest.

According to Eurostat, Greeks already work 39.8 hours a week on average compared to the EU average of 35.8 hours.

The current government has already legalised a six-day working week, especially during high demand in certain sectors, including tourism.

F.Cardoso--PC