PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
| GREECE |
| ARYÍES αργίεζ PUBLIC HOLIDAYS |
Greek law provides for both mandatory and discretionary public holidays. The mandatory paid public holidays are March 25 (National Independence Day), Easter Monday, August 15, December 25 (Christmas Day), Good Friday up to 1300 hrs (Royal Decree 748/1966, Article 4) and May 1 (now also established as a mandatory holiday every year following a decision of the Minister for Labour). One discretionary public holiday is specified for October 28; the law also provides for the possibility of another four, whose dates are not specified. All these are subject to a decision by the Minister for Labour. Apart from May 1, local saints' days may also be observed as additional public holidays, especially the name-day of the patron saint of certain occupations or industries.
The law makes no provision for employees who work on a public holiday to have a different day off in lieu. Their pay is increased by the same percentage as that for Sunday working (see pay for Sunday and public holiday working ). The adoption of the fiveday week in Greece, with the whole weekend off work and hence two rest days per week for a large number of employees, has had various effects. Article 7 of Law 1400/1983 prohibits the transfer of public holidays when they fall on a Sunday, an arrangement that was permitted under the previous system: it was thought that there were too many public holidays.
Please note: the European industrial relations glossaries were compiled between 1991 and 2003 and are not updated. For current material see the European industrial relations dictionary.