ATHENS: Greece’s parliament on Wednesday was to approve a reform allowing workers to work 13-hour days under exceptional circumstances, drawing fire from unions and opposition parties.
The new law is expected to be passed by parliament, where the ruling conservatives have 156 MPs in the 300-seat chamber.
Unions have staged two general strikes against the reform this month, the latest of them on Tuesday.
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.
“It requires an employee’s consent,” Labor Minister Niki Kerameus told Skai TV on Tuesday.
