Athens (AFP) – Greece will grind to a halt on Wednesday in a 24-hour general strike against plans by the conservative government to introduce a 13-hour workday.

Transport in Athens, trains and ferry services will be disrupted while teachers, hospital staff, and civil servants are also taking part in the mobilisation.

Protests are planned around midday (0900 GMT) across the country to oppose the reform advocated by the conservative government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

The main private sector union GSEE, which is spearheading the walkout alongside public sector union ADEDY, has said the reform “endangers the health and safety of workers and destroys the balance between professional and personal life”.

Pro-communist union PAME has accused the government of seeking to introduce “modern slavery” for workers and force them to endure “inhumane hours and miserable wages”.

The union has also rejected what it called “a ruthless deregulation that is rapidly progressing” in Greece since the 2009 debt crisis.

The bill on the reform, which has not yet been submitted to parliament, allows staff to work 13 hours a day for the same employer under exceptional circumstances, for extra pay.

In a country where the economy has recovered since the debt crisis but remains fragile, this possibility already exists – but only if an employee has two or more employers.

Mitsotakis, in power since 2019, has noted that many young people currently have two jobs and want to work more to earn more.

“We guarantee a freedom of choice for both the employer and the employee. Why would that be antisocial?” he said earlier this month.

Labour Minister Niki Kerameus has stressed the measure is “exceptional” and will in no way be generalised.

“It is a provision… valid for up to 37 days per year… only with the employee’s consent and with a 40 percent increased pay,” she told Mega TV this week.

Despite falling unemployment and sustained growth – which according to the European Commission clocked 2.3 percent last year – low wages remain a major concern of the economy and one of Greeks’ main concerns, along with the high cost of living.

The minimum wage, although raised, stands at 880 euros ($1,031) per month.

Parliament has not yet included discussion of the draft law in its calendar, according to its press service.

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

In the tourism sector, during peak season, servers and cooks work extended days, sometimes without any weekly rest.

The legal working day in Greece is eight hours, with the possibility of performing paid overtime.

Greece has already established the possibility of a six-day working week, especially during high demand in certain sectors such as tourism.