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Government Building

Greece's legislature has ratified a disputed labor reform that authorizes 13-hour working days, despite widespread opposition and nationwide protests.

The administration asserted the measure will update the country's work laws, but opposition figures from the progressive faction described it as a "harmful law."

Key Provisions of the Recently Passed Labor Law

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

The government insists that the extended shift is elective, only applies to the private sector, and can only be implemented for up to thirty-seven days annually.

Parliamentary Support and Resistance

Thursday's ballot was supported by MPs from the ruling centre-right party, with the centre-left faction – currently the main opposition – voting against the bill, while the progressive group did not vote.

Labor unions have organized two general strikes calling for the bill's withdrawal this month that halted public transport and public services to a standstill.

Government Justification and Worker Protections

A senior official defended the bill, claiming the changes align Greek laws with current labor-market conditions, and accused critics of misinforming the public.

These regulations will give workers the choice to accept additional hours with the same employer for increased compensation, while ensuring they cannot be fired for declining overtime.

The measure complies with EU labor rules, which cap the mean week to 48 hours including extra hours but allow flexibility over 12 months, as stated by the government.

Opposition Viewpoints and Labor Reactions

However, opposition parties have charged the administration of eroding employee protections and "driving the country back to a labor middle age." They argue local employees currently work longer hours than most Europeans while receiving lower pay and still "struggle to make ends meet."

A major labor organization said flexible working hours in practice mean "the abolition of the standard workday, the destruction of family and social life and the legalisation of over-exploitation."

Previous Workplace Changes and Financial Background

Last year, Greece introduced a six-day working week for certain sectors in a bid to stimulate the economy.

Recent legislation, which started at the start of July, permit employees to work up to 48 hours in a week as instead of 40.

European Work Data and National Economic Metrics

• Throughout the EU in 2024, the highest average hours were observed in Greece (39.8 hours), followed by Bulgaria (39.0), Poland and Romania (38.8).
• The lowest work hours in the union is in the Netherlands (32.1), according to EU statistics.
• Starting this year, Greece's official minimum wage was nine hundred sixty-eight euros a month, placing it in the lower tier among European nations.
• Joblessness, which had peaked at twenty-eight percent during the economic downturn, was eight point one percent in the summer compared with an European mean of 5.9%, data from the statistical office indicate.
• Greece is recovering since its prolonged debt crisis, which concluded in recent years, but salaries and quality of life remain among the poorest in the EU.