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Government Building

Greece's legislature has given the green light a contentious labor reform that authorizes 13-hour working days, in the face of fierce opposition and nationwide protests.

The administration asserted the law will update Greek work laws, but critics from the progressive faction labeled it as a "harmful law."

Main Elements of the New Work Legislation

Under the newly enacted law, annual overtime is limited at 150 hours, while the standard 40-hour workweek stays unchanged.

The government maintains that the longer shift is voluntary, only affects the business sector, and can exclusively be applied for up to 37 days annually.

Political Backing and Opposition

Thursday's ballot was supported by MPs from the ruling conservative party, with the centre-left party – now the main resistance – voting against the bill, while the left-wing group did not vote.

Labor unions have organized two general strikes demanding the law's repeal recently that halted transportation and services to a standstill.

Official Defense and Employee Safeguards

The Labor Minister supported the legislation, claiming the reforms align Greek laws with modern labor-market conditions, and accused critics of misinforming the citizens.

These regulations will give workers the choice to accept additional hours with the current company for increased pay, while guaranteeing they cannot be dismissed for refusing extra hours.

The measure follows European Union labor rules, which limit the mean workweek to forty-eight hours including extra hours but permit adjustments over 12 months, as stated by the government.

Critical Perspectives and Union Responses

But, critics have charged the government of eroding employee protections and "driving the country back to a labor middle age." They argue Greek workers already work longer hours than the majority of Europeans while earning less and still "struggle to make ends meet."

The public-sector union stated flexible working hours in practice mean "the end of the eight-hour day, the disruption of family and social life and the authorization of excessive labor."

Previous Workplace Changes and Economic Context

Last year, the country enacted a six-day working week for specific industries in a bid to boost the economy.

Recent legislation, which started at the start of July, permit workers to labor up to forty-eight hours in a week as instead of forty.

European Labor Data and National Financial Metrics

• Across the EU in 2024, the longest average hours were recorded in Greece (39.8 hours), then Bulgaria, Poland (38.9) and Romania.
• The shortest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands, according to Eurostat.
• Starting this year, the nation's official minimum wage stood at nine hundred sixty-eight euros a month, placing it in the bottom group among European nations.
• Unemployment, which had peaked at 28% during the financial crisis, was eight point one percent in August versus an EU average of five point nine percent, figures from the statistical office indicate.
• The country is recovering since its decade-long debt crisis, which concluded in recent years, but salaries and quality of life remain among the poorest in the European Union.