New labor bill submitted to parliament for consultation on Friday

What’s new is the Labor Bill submitted yesterday to Parliament and signed by the new Minister of Labor, Mr. Adonis Georgiadis – the main theses for discussion.

The bill regulates:

• six months probation;
• six-day working week with increased daily wages;
• perpetual contracts;
• employment with several employers and other innovations.

And now in more detail.

Work for two employers – up to 13 hours in a row

The new labor law will be in line with the Directive EU and provide for an employment model for two employers, up to 13 consecutive hours, subject to the basic requirement of 11 consecutive hours of rest per day. That is, the employer will no longer be able to prohibit the employee from working for other employers outside the working hours established by him.

Zero hours and individual contracts

The Labor Bill provides for the institutionalization of on-demand and zero-day contracts, as defined by the relevant EU Directive. That is, the employer has the right to call the employee only on those days and hours when his presence is “required”, and, accordingly, pay only for the hours worked.

The only condition is that the employee must be notified no later than 24 hours before the start of the working day. The Department of Labor claims that such a model will help special social groups who need a more flexible system, such as students and mothers with young children, find work. The main purpose of the model is to create a defensive basis for the application of contracts in order to prevent abuse.

Six-day work with increased pay

Such a schedule, if desired, can be set by any enterprise under certain conditions. For example, the duration of the working day cannot exceed 8 hours, and the sixth day of the working week must be paid with a surcharge of 40%. The new labor bill will provide solutions for businesses that work seven days in a row or around the clock by regulating employee shifts.

Trial period up to 6 months

Now in Greece there is a trial period of 12 months. The new bill cuts it down to six months. If the employee is fired before the end of the six-month period, the employer is not required to pay compensation. Specifically for fixed-term contracts, the EU Directive provides that the trial period should be proportionate to the duration of the contract and the nature of the work. If the contract is extended, the trial period also ends.

Digital vacancy card

Facilitate businesses adopting a digital work card faster than they would be required to do so by being industry-specific. For enterprises, the obligation to post a number of forms in the ERGANI information system, such as pre-registration of changes in working hours or overtime, will be abolished in order to limit bureaucracy in enterprises with up to 20 employees, most of which do not even have accounting.

But in the event that employees are recognized as employed, and this is not recorded in the digital labor card, a fine of 10,500 euros will be imposed. For comparison: until now, if an employee is found, for example, with a four-hour employment contract, working at a normal eight-hour working day, the fine can reach up to 2,000 euros.

Written Notice

The employer must inform the employee about the essential conditions of the employment relationship in a written letter in physical or electronic form within one month from the date of employment, in the context of the implementation of the European directive, which establishes a strict framework for not informing the employee, which gives him the opportunity to report a violation.

Compulsory education

Training will be free for employees if, under EU or national law or collective agreements, the employer is required to provide training for the job for which they are hired. Training time is counted as working time and, if possible, is spent during working hours.

Dismissal protection

Worker protection will be provided by the Department of Labor bill, as layoffs will be prohibited, as well as any preliminary layoff actions to implement it. Employees who believe that they have been fired or subjected to equivalent measures may ask the employer to tell them the reasons for dismissal, duly confirmed.

Fine up to 5,000 euros for strikes

Strikers who prevent other workers from performing their professional duties are criminalized, according to the Labor Ministry bill, which provides: anyone who prevents the free entry or exit of other employees from work or uses physical and psychological violence will be punished. The prescribed penalty will be at least six months’ imprisonment and a fine of 5,000 euros, and in case of repeated action, writes CNN Greece, fine could be doubled.

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