The Minister of Labor and Social Security, Niki Kerameos, speaking on the “Newsroom” show of ERTnews with Giorgos Siadimas, attempted to clarify the points of the new labor bill that have caused strong reactions, emphasizing the provision for the 13-hour workday. “The term 13-hour workday is problematic. It doesn’t mean that every employee will work 13 hours a day,” the minister stated, explaining that the regulation can be applied up to 37 days per year, meaning at most three days per month and only with the employee’s consent.
“This is an exceptional provision. The employee has the right to refuse, without being threatened with dismissal or adverse treatment,” Ms. Kerameos emphasized, adding that the framework provides for mandatory 11-hour rest per day and a maximum 48-hour average per four-month period.
Niki Kerameos: The digital work card and overtime
The minister stressed that the digital work card is an important tool for monitoring labor legislation. “It records actual working time and has revealed overtime that was not reported in the past. In 2025, 1.8 million more overtime hours were reported compared to 2024, just in the first eight months,” she noted.
As she clarified, the new framework explicitly prohibits salary reductions after implementing the digital card, ensuring that “employees are paid fairly and that healthy competition is protected.”
Unemployment trends and comments on Tsipras
Referring to unemployment trends, Niki Kerameos noted that it has been reduced to 8%, from 18% in 2019, emphasizing that this represents “the largest decrease in the European Union.”
Finally, commenting on Alexis Tsipras’s resignation, she said: “It doesn’t concern us. It’s a matter for the Left. Mr. Tsipras has been judged by the Greek people, both as prime minister and as opposition leader. We are interested in being consistent with our commitments.”
