EU Lenders Demand Saturday Work in Greece

The Eurozone is demanding that Greece change its work rules to include a six-day workweek as part of the strong austerity measures required for the next round of financial relief. The requirement means that Greek citizens would have to work on God’s Sabbath day by law to help relieve the economic crisis. Whether concessions for Jews and other Sabbath keepers will be made, which would likely be very unpopular, is unclear.

The “troika” of creditors involving the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund sent a letter to Greece’s finance and labour ministries ordering a bevy of radical labour market reforms, which include the nationwide six-day workweek.

The letter said the Greek government was to “increase the number of maximum workdays to six days per week for all sectors…”

Other intrusive measures have to do with work schedule flexibility, minimum wage, minimum daily rest, leave rules, overtime, etc. The leaked letter also calls for the labour inspectorate to be put under European supervision.

Though Antonis Samaras’ government is “pleading for more time – four years rather than two – to fulfill debt reduction targets and spending cuts,” which would require more assistance from Greek lenders, there is little appetite for more financial rescues.

Greece is an Orthodox and Roman Catholic country, and its law already forbids working on Sunday. “Employees are entitled to a minimum continuous period of rest of at least 24 hours per week, including Sunday as a rule, depending on the labor law provisions in force for each category of employees.” Because of this law, which isn’t likely to be changed, the extra day of work would be on Saturday. Workers who refuse to work on Saturday would be in violation of the law if concessions are not made for personal beliefs.

While the Greek government may seek to negotiate a way around the Saturday work requirement, or it may exit the eurozone, it is clear that the underlying thinking of the eurozone is to impose Saturday work.

The Catholic Church, along with some protestant churches, trade unions and other civic organizations have been trying to get EU-level laws passed that would require Sunday rest. This would also put pressure on employers and employees to work on Saturday.

It is not difficult to see that the EU views a six-day workweek as part of the solution to the economic crisis. We can now see that laws are likely to be made requiring Saturday work and Sunday rest, making it difficult for Sabbath keepers to make a living, earn a wage or a salary, or conduct business.

Sunday rest laws are the foundation of Sunday worship laws. The Bible clearly portrays the idea that Sunday worship will become the mark of the beast and that a Sunday worship law will eventually be imposed on the whole world.

While the EU “troika” did not insist on Sunday worship laws in its letter to the Greek government, it is essentially insisting that Saturday work should be part of the measures required for the next Greek bailout.

It may be that anti-Sabbath laws, such as laws requiring Saturday work could precede Sunday worship laws if the economic crisis gets bad enough.

Speaking of the coming Sunday worship laws the Apostle John says: “And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” Revelation 13:15-17

The foundation for the Sunday law crisis may well be in the making.
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