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An extensive general strike has brought Greece to a halt, with unions intensifying their protests against proposed labor laws that would implement a 13-hour workday in a nation currently working some of the longest hours across the continent.

Mass Disarray Throughout the Nation

The 24-hour walkout caused major disruption to public services across the nation on midweek, as thousands of employees from both public and private sectors stopped work and took to the streets.

Across Athens and Thessaloniki, transport systems were halted, while hospital staff, educators, and additional civil servants joined the industrial action. The seas around the Athens were empty as ferry crews followed strike directives and kept vessels in ports.

Workers are currently compelled to survive on some of the lowest wages in the EU and now they’re expecting us to effectively work the majority of the day.

Increasing Resistance to Controversial Workplace Reforms

The business-friendly government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has faced rising resistance over the planned reforms, with employees arguing they not only violate their entitlements but also destroy any hopes for a balanced life.

The 13-hour workday measure is expected to be enacted into legislation this month. The adjustment would allow workers to clock in for thirteen hours, in practice lengthening their time at the workplace by up to five hours.

Financial Recovery Amid Minimal Pay

While the southern European country has recovered from a prolonged financial crisis that witnessed the GDP contract by over a quarter, and endured biting budget cuts enforced in return for bailout rescue funds, wages continue to be significantly lower than other European Union member states at a time when the cost of living has increased sharply.

At €880 per month, the minimum wage – even though raised by the current centre-right government – is among the lowest on the continent.

Opposition and Worries Over Longer Hours

Critics have expressed concern that longer working hours could cause burnout and work accidents. Pame, linked to the Communist party, likened the new measure to “modern slavery”.

Labor market specialists have doubted the logic of increasing work schedules when research shows such measures are harmful to productivity and the standard of products and services.

According to European Union data body the statistics office, Greeks work on average nearly 40 hours a week, compared with the EU mean of 35.8 hours.

Earlier Controversy Regarding Six-Day Working Week

Last year, the government caused a similar backlash by introducing a six-day working week, a optional plan applied to private businesses in the tourist sector and other sectors offering 24/7 services. Labor groups condemned the measure as “barbaric”.

Administration Defense of the Measure

After assuming office in 2019, the Prime Minister has said he aims to make the job market more flexible by curtailing the influence of labor organizations, such as group bargaining.

The labour minister, Niki Kerameus, says the new legislation has been designed to improve that adaptability, stating the 13-hour regulation will only be applied in “exceptional” circumstances.

Justifying the proposal, the leader argued it would give young people, who frequently work multiple jobs to get by, the opportunity to put in additional time for a one employer.

Whereas the rest of Europe talks about a reduced working week, in Greece, in the 21st century, it’s focused on more work and wages that fail to match the cost of living.

Citizen Reaction and Upcoming Concerns

A protester, aged 55, an worker in a privately owned manufacturing company, said she felt obliged to participate in Wednesday’s demonstrations out of fear that numerous would fall victim to workplace exploitation as a consequence of the change.

“It’s terrible that a large number of of us are obliged to depend on state aid to pay for our heating and other costs,” she said. “We aren’t here pleading or asking for favors. We are protesting because there are a lot of at-risk people out there who will struggle to negotiate with companies after laws like this are passed.”