The Greek Parliament Passes Disputed Workplace Law Authorizing Extended Working Days in Specific Cases

Government Building

Greece's parliament has approved a hotly debated labor reform that permits 13-hour work shifts, in the face of fierce resistance and countrywide protests.

The administration stated the measure will revamp Greek labor regulations, but critics from the left-wing faction described it as a "legislative monstrosity."

Main Provisions of the Recently Passed Work Legislation

According to the freshly approved legislation, yearly extra hours is capped at 150 hours, while the standard forty-hour week remains in place.

Officials emphasizes that the longer shift is elective, solely affects the business sector, and can exclusively be used for up to 37 days each year.

Parliamentary Support and Resistance

The recent ballot was supported by MPs from the governing conservative political group, with the moderate faction – currently the primary opposition – rejecting the bill, while the left-wing party abstained.

Labor unions have staged two general strikes calling for the law's repeal this month that brought transportation and services to a stop.

Government Defense and Worker Safeguards

A senior official supported the bill, claiming the changes align Greek legislation with modern labor-market realities, and alleged opposition leaders of misinforming the citizens.

These regulations will provide employees the choice to accept extra work with the current company for 40% higher compensation, while ensuring they will not be dismissed for declining overtime.

The measure follows EU working-time regulations, which limit the average week to forty-eight hours including extra hours but permit adjustments over 12 months, according to the administration.

Critical Perspectives and Union Responses

However, opposition parties have accused the government of weakening employee protections and "pushing the nation back to a labor middle age." They argue Greek employees already work longer hours than the majority of EU citizens while earning less and still "face financial difficulties."

The public-sector union 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 Workplace Reforms and Economic Context

Last year, the country introduced a six-day work schedule for certain sectors in a bid to boost economic growth.

Recent laws, which came into effect at the start of July, allow workers to labor up to 48 hours in a week as opposed to 40.

EU Labor Statistics and National Economic Indicators

• Across the EU in 2024, the highest working weeks were recorded in the Hellenic Republic, followed by Bulgaria, Poland and Romania.
• The lowest work hours in the union is in the Netherlands (32.1), according to EU statistics.
• Starting this year, the nation's national base pay stood at nine hundred sixty-eight euros a month, ranking it in the bottom group among EU countries.
• Unemployment, which had reached a high at 28% during the economic downturn, was 8.1% in the summer versus an EU average of 5.9%, data from Eurostat show.
• The country is improving since its prolonged financial troubles, which concluded in recent years, but salaries and quality of life remain among the poorest in the EU.