Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-002900/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Maria Zacharia (NI)
In Greece, Article 59(3) of Law 5053/2023 is already in force. It permits up to 13 hours of work per day if a worker has a second contract with a different employer, without placing limits on total working time. The government plans to extend the possibility of working 13-hour days to those working for a single employer. Realistically, workers spend at least two hours per day commuting, leaving only nine hours for daily rest. This is not enough time to rest or lead a personal life. Everyday life becomes a cycle of exhaustion. There are already thousands of cases of catering, logistics and delivery workers working 12 to 13 hour days, without overtime pay. At the same time, there is a huge increase in the number of workplace accidents and other serious accidents across the country, with official statistics underestimating the reality.
Directive 2003/88/EC (Article 3) sets out the requirement for 11 hours of rest per 24-hour period. The CJEU (Tyco case) ruled that travelling time affects working time. The Charter of Fundamental Rights (Article 31) guarantees the limitation of working hours. The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work’s 2023 report confirms that work exceeding 10 hours is associated with accidents, burnout and cardiovascular problems. The normalisation of this practice constitutes a systematic breach of EU law. The Commission’s silence would amount to complicity.
In view of the above, can the Commission say:
- 1.Does it consider the current and announced legislation to be in breach of Article 3 of Directive 2003/88/EC?
- 2.Will it demand evidence and initiate an infringement procedure under Article 258 TFEU?
Submitted: 15.7.2025