New Working Hours for Public Utilities in Greece

New Working Hours for Public Utilities in Greece

The implementation of new uniform working hours for Public Utilities, approved by the Government Committee, after a relevant proposal by Minister for the Interior Prokopis Pavlopoulos, will begin as of July 1, 2006.

The working hours are 08:30 to 16:00 or 09:00 to 16:30, and as the Minister stated, concern Ministries, legal persons governed by public law, utilities of Prefectures and Municipalities and not services such as hospitals and schools, nor affects the rights of employees belonging in special categories. Moreover, the new regulation transfers and unifies Public Sector employees’ winter and summer working hours.

A dialogue with the Supreme Administration of Greek Civil Servants Trade Unions (ADEDY) will take place before the implementation, while structural changes will be made for the facilitation of employees, in example, changes concerning nursery schools, as well as specific institutional interventions in order for no obstructions to take place in the employment.

Referring to the benefits of the working hours’ reform, Mr Pavlopoulos explained that the continuity of Public Utilities and the better facilitation of citizens are secured, at the time when the working hours and services of other EU Member-States is approached."