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Government Building

The Greek parliament has approved a disputed labor reform that authorizes 13-hour working days, despite widespread resistance and nationwide strike actions.

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

Main Elements of the New Work Legislation

According to the newly enacted legislation, yearly extra hours is also at one hundred and fifty hours, while the standard forty-hour week stays unchanged.

Officials emphasizes that the longer shift is elective, solely applies to the private sector, and can only be used for up to 37 days annually.

Parliamentary Support and Opposition

The recent vote was backed by lawmakers from the ruling centre-right party, with the moderate faction – currently the primary resistance – rejecting the legislation, while the left-wing party did not vote.

Labor unions have staged multiple protests calling for the bill's withdrawal this month that halted transportation and services to a standstill.

Official Justification and Employee Safeguards

The Labor Minister defended the legislation, stating the reforms align Greek legislation with modern employment realities, and alleged critics of misinforming the public.

The laws will give employees the choice to accept extra work with the current company for 40% higher pay, while guaranteeing they cannot be fired for refusing overtime.

The measure complies with European Union working-time rules, which limit the mean week to forty-eight hours including extra hours but permit flexibility over a year, according to the administration.

Opposition Viewpoints and Labor Responses

But, critics have accused the administration of eroding workers' rights and "pushing the nation back to a labor middle age." They argue Greek employees already put in more time than the majority of Europeans while earning less and still "struggle to make ends meet."

The public-sector union stated variable shifts in reality mean "the abolition of the standard workday, the disruption of personal time and the legalisation of excessive labor."

Recent Workplace Changes and Economic Context

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

New legislation, which started at the start of July, allow workers to work up to forty-eight hours in a workweek as instead of 40.

EU Work Data and National Financial Metrics

• Across the EU in 2024, the highest average hours were observed in Greece (39.8 hours), followed by Bulgaria (39.0), Poland (38.9) and Romania (38.8).
• The lowest work hours in the bloc is in the Netherlands, according to EU statistics.
• Starting this year, the nation's national minimum wage was €968 a month, placing it in the bottom group among EU countries.
• Joblessness, which had peaked at 28% during the economic downturn, was 8.1% in August versus an EU average of five point nine percent, figures from the statistical office indicate.
• The country is recovering since its prolonged financial troubles, which ended in 2018, but salaries and living standards continue to be among the poorest in the EU.