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Government Building

Greece's parliament has ratified a disputed work legislation that permits extended-length work shifts, despite strong opposition and nationwide strike actions.

Government officials stated the measure will modernize Greek labor regulations, but critics from the progressive faction described it as a "regulatory disaster."

Main Provisions of the Recently Passed Labor Law

Under the freshly approved legislation, annual extra hours is capped at one hundred and fifty hours, while the standard 40-hour workweek remains in place.

The government maintains that the longer workday is elective, solely affects the business sector, and can only be used for up to 37 days annually.

Parliamentary Backing and Resistance

Thursday's vote was supported by lawmakers from the governing centre-right party, with the centre-left faction – currently the primary opposition – rejecting the legislation, while the progressive party did not vote.

Worker organizations have organized two general strikes calling for the bill's withdrawal this month that brought public transport and services to a standstill.

Government Defense and Worker Safeguards

A senior official supported the legislation, saying the changes bring in line Greek legislation with modern employment conditions, and alleged opposition leaders of misleading the citizens.

The laws will provide workers the option to take on additional hours with the current company for increased compensation, while ensuring they cannot be dismissed for declining overtime.

The measure complies with EU labor regulations, which limit the mean week to 48 hours including overtime but permit flexibility over 12 months, according to the government.

Opposition Perspectives and Union Reactions

However, opposition parties have accused the government of weakening employee protections and "driving the nation back to a labor middle age." They argue Greek employees currently put in more time than most Europeans while receiving lower pay and still "struggle to make ends meet."

A major labor organization stated variable shifts in reality mean "the end of the eight-hour day, the destruction 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 attempt to stimulate the economy.

Recent laws, which started at the beginning of the summer, permit employees to labor up to 48 hours in a workweek as instead of forty.

European Work Data and Greek Financial Metrics

• Across the European Union in 2024, the longest average hours were observed in Greece (39.8 hours), followed by Bulgaria (39.0), Poland (38.9) and Romania.
• The lowest work hours in the bloc is in the Netherlands (32.1), according to Eurostat.
• As of this year, the nation's official 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 economic downturn, was eight point one percent in the summer compared with an EU average of five point nine percent, figures from the statistical office indicate.
• Greece is recovering since its decade-long debt crisis, which ended in 2018, but salaries and living standards remain among the poorest in the European Union.