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Government Building

Greece's legislature has ratified a contentious labor reform that permits 13-hour work shifts, despite fierce opposition and nationwide strike actions.

Government officials asserted the law will update the country's work laws, but critics from the progressive party described it as a "harmful law."

Key Elements of the Recently Passed Work Legislation

According to the newly enacted legislation, annual overtime is capped at 150 hours, while the regular forty-hour week remains in place.

Officials maintains that the extended workday is elective, solely affects the private sector, and can exclusively be applied for up to 37 days each year.

Political Backing and Resistance

The recent ballot was backed by MPs from the ruling conservative political group, with the moderate party – now the primary opposition – rejecting the legislation, while the left-wing group did not vote.

Worker organizations have staged two general strikes demanding the law's repeal this month that brought public transport and public services to a standstill.

Government Justification and Worker Protections

The Labor Minister defended the legislation, saying the changes bring in line Greek legislation with modern employment realities, and alleged opposition leaders of misleading the citizens.

These regulations will give workers the option to accept extra work with the same employer for increased pay, while ensuring they will not be dismissed for refusing overtime.

The measure follows EU labor regulations, which limit the average week to forty-eight hours counting extra hours but allow flexibility over 12 months, according to the administration.

Opposition Perspectives and Union Reactions

However, opposition parties have accused the administration of eroding employee protections and "driving the nation back to a medieval work era." They argue Greek workers already put in more time than most EU citizens while receiving lower pay and still "face financial difficulties."

A major labor organization stated flexible working hours in practice mean "the abolition of the eight-hour day, the destruction of personal time and the legalisation of over-exploitation."

Recent Workplace Reforms and Economic Context

In 2024, the country enacted a six-day working week for specific industries in a bid to boost economic growth.

New legislation, which started at the start of July, permit workers to work up to 48 hours in a workweek as instead of 40.

EU Work Data and Greek Economic Indicators

• Throughout the EU in the previous year, the longest average hours were observed in the Hellenic Republic, then Bulgaria, Poland and Romania.
• The shortest working week in the union is in the Netherlands, as per Eurostat.
• Starting this year, the nation's national minimum wage stood at €968 a month, ranking it in the lower tier among European nations.
• Unemployment, which had reached a high at 28% during the financial crisis, was eight point one percent in the summer versus an EU average of 5.9%, data from Eurostat show.
• The country is recovering since its decade-long debt crisis, which concluded in recent years, but salaries and quality of life remain among the poorest in the European Union.