The Greek Parliament Passes Debated Labor Legislation Allowing Extended Working Days in Certain Cases

Government Building

Greece's legislature has approved a hotly debated labor reform that permits 13-hour working days, despite fierce opposition and nationwide strike actions.

Government officials stated the measure will update Greek work laws, but critics from the left-wing faction described it as a "legislative monstrosity."

Key Elements of the Recently Passed Labor Law

According to the newly enacted legislation, annual overtime is limited at one hundred and fifty hours, while the regular 40-hour week stays unchanged.

Officials maintains that the longer shift is elective, solely affects the private sector, and can exclusively be applied for up to thirty-seven days each year.

Political Support and Resistance

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

Labor unions have organized multiple protests demanding the law's repeal recently that halted public transport and public services to a stop.

Official Justification and Employee Protections

The Labor Minister supported the legislation, stating the changes align national legislation with current employment conditions, and alleged critics of misleading the public.

These regulations will provide workers the option to accept additional hours with the same employer for increased pay, while guaranteeing they cannot be fired for refusing extra hours.

This follows EU working-time rules, which limit the mean week to forty-eight hours including overtime but permit adjustments over 12 months, according to the administration.

Opposition Perspectives and Union Responses

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

The public-sector union said variable shifts in practice mean "the end of the standard workday, the disruption of personal time and the legalisation of over-exploitation."

Recent Labor Changes and Financial Background

Last year, Greece enacted a six-day work schedule for specific industries in a attempt to stimulate economic growth.

New legislation, which started at the start of the summer, allow employees to labor up to 48 hours in a workweek as instead of forty.

European Labor Data and Greek Economic Indicators

• Throughout the European Union in 2024, the longest average hours were observed in Greece (39.8 hours), followed by Bulgaria, Poland and Romania.
• The shortest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands, as per Eurostat.
• Starting January 2025, the nation's official minimum wage was €968 a month, ranking it in the lower tier among European nations.
• Unemployment, which had peaked at 28% during the economic downturn, was eight point one percent in August versus an European mean of 5.9%, figures from Eurostat show.
• The country is improving since its prolonged financial troubles, which concluded in recent years, but wages and quality of life remain among the poorest in the European Union.