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Government Building

The Greek legislature has approved a contentious labor reform that authorizes 13-hour work shifts, in the face of strong opposition and nationwide strike actions.

The administration asserted the measure will modernize Greek labor regulations, but opposition figures from the progressive party labeled it as a "legislative monstrosity."

Key Elements of the Recently Passed Work Legislation

According to the freshly approved law, yearly overtime is capped at 150 hours, while the standard forty-hour week stays unchanged.

Officials maintains that the longer workday is voluntary, only affects the business sector, and can only be implemented for up to thirty-seven days annually.

Political Backing and Resistance

Thursday's vote was supported by MPs from the ruling conservative political group, with the moderate faction – now the primary resistance – voting against the legislation, while the left-wing group did not vote.

Labor unions have staged multiple protests calling for the law's repeal this month that brought transportation and public services to a standstill.

Official Justification and Worker Protections

A senior official supported the bill, claiming the changes bring in line Greek legislation with modern labor-market conditions, and accused critics of misleading the citizens.

The laws will provide workers the choice to accept extra work with the same employer for increased pay, while ensuring they will not be dismissed for declining extra hours.

This follows EU working-time regulations, which limit the mean workweek to forty-eight hours including overtime but permit flexibility over 12 months, as stated by the administration.

Opposition Perspectives and Labor Responses

However, critics have charged the administration of eroding employee protections and "pushing the country back to a medieval work era." They say local employees currently work longer hours than most EU citizens while receiving lower pay and still "face financial difficulties."

A major labor organization stated variable shifts in reality mean "the end of the eight-hour day, the destruction of family and social life and the legalisation of over-exploitation."

Previous Labor Changes and Financial Background

In 2024, Greece enacted a six-day working week for certain industries in a attempt to boost economic growth.

New legislation, which started at the start of July, allow employees to labor up to forty-eight hours in a week as opposed to 40.

EU Work Statistics and Greek Economic Indicators

• Across the European Union in 2024, the longest average hours were recorded in Greece (39.8 hours), then Bulgaria (39.0), Poland and Romania.
• The shortest working week in the union is in the Netherlands, as per EU statistics.
• As of this year, the nation's national base pay was €968 a month, ranking it in the bottom group among European nations.
• Unemployment, which had reached a high at 28% during the financial crisis, was 8.1% in August versus an European mean of 5.9%, data from the statistical office show.
• Greece is recovering since its prolonged financial troubles, which ended in 2018, but wages and quality of life remain among the lowest in the European Union.