A nationwide rollout of a four-day workweek in Greece remains unworkable given a severe labour shortage, weak national productivity and a corporate landscape dominated by micro-businesses, leading employer groups and labour officials said this week, pushing back against an opposition push for a pilot scheme.
The debate resurfaced after the opposition PASOK party tabled a legislative proposal calling for a trial rollout.
The Hellenic Confederation of Professionals, Craftsmen and Merchants firmly opposed any mandatory cut to a four-day or 35-hour week, warning that reducing hours without a corresponding rise in output would impose a painful financial burden on small businesses already grappling with soaring operating costs.
Labour and Social Security Minister Niki Kerameus dismissed the opposition proposal as "hollow words" lacking a realistic implementation plan.
With 98.3 percent of Greek companies employing fewer than 50 people, Mrs. Kerameus said, service-heavy sectors such as tourism, retail and hospitality cannot simply substitute technology for physical staff presence.
Forcing identical pay for fewer hours, she warned, would trigger widespread bankruptcies and layoffs.
Labour Relations Secretary General Nikos Milapidis echoed that view, noting that European trials show there is no one-size-fits-all formula.
Historic reductions in working hours, he said, have always followed productivity gains rather than preceded them.
A premature, nationwide mandate, Mr. Milapidis warned, would spike unit labour costs, deter investment and ultimately fuel unemployment.
By Tassos Economou