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Government Building

The Greek parliament has ratified a contentious work legislation that permits 13-hour work shifts, despite fierce resistance and nationwide protests.

The administration stated the law will update the country's labor regulations, but opposition figures from the progressive faction labeled it as a "legislative monstrosity."

Key Elements of the New Work Legislation

According to the newly enacted law, annual overtime is capped at one hundred and fifty hours, while the regular forty-hour workweek stays unchanged.

The government insists that the extended workday is voluntary, solely affects the private sector, and can exclusively be implemented for up to 37 days annually.

Political Support and Resistance

Thursday's ballot was backed by MPs from the governing conservative political group, with the centre-left party – currently the primary resistance – voting against the legislation, while the left-wing party abstained.

Labor unions have staged multiple protests demanding the law's repeal recently that halted transportation and services to a standstill.

Government Justification and Worker Protections

A senior official defended the bill, claiming the changes align national legislation with current employment realities, and accused opposition leaders of misinforming the citizens.

The laws will provide employees the choice to take on additional hours with the same employer for 40% higher compensation, while ensuring they will not be dismissed for declining overtime.

The measure complies with European Union labor rules, which cap the mean week to 48 hours including overtime but allow adjustments over 12 months, as stated by the administration.

Critical Viewpoints and Labor Responses

However, opposition parties have charged the government of weakening employee protections and "driving the country back to a labor middle age." They argue Greek employees currently work longer hours than most EU citizens while earning less and still "struggle to make ends meet."

A major labor organization said flexible working hours in practice mean "the abolition of the eight-hour day, the disruption of personal time and the legalisation of excessive labor."

Previous Labor Reforms and Economic Background

Last year, Greece enacted a six-day working week for certain sectors in a attempt to boost economic growth.

New legislation, which came into effect at the beginning of the summer, allow workers to work up to forty-eight hours in a workweek as instead of 40.

EU Work Data and Greek Financial Indicators

• Throughout the European Union in 2024, the highest average hours were observed in Greece (39.8 hours), then Bulgaria (39.0), Poland (38.9) and Romania.
• The shortest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands, as per EU statistics.
• As of this year, Greece's national minimum wage stood at nine hundred sixty-eight euros a month, placing it in the lower tier 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 5.9%, data from Eurostat indicate.
• Greece is recovering since its prolonged financial troubles, which concluded in 2018, but salaries and living standards remain among the poorest in the European Union.