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Government Building

Greece's legislature has approved a contentious work legislation that permits 13-hour working days, in the face of fierce resistance and countrywide protests.

The administration claimed the law will revamp the country's labor regulations, but opposition figures from the left-wing party labeled it as a "harmful law."

Main Elements of the New Labor Law

Under the newly enacted legislation, yearly overtime is capped at one hundred and fifty hours, while the regular 40-hour workweek stays unchanged.

Officials maintains that the longer shift is voluntary, only applies to the business sector, and can exclusively be used for up to thirty-seven days annually.

Parliamentary Backing and Opposition

Thursday's vote was supported by lawmakers from the ruling conservative party, with the centre-left party – currently the primary opposition – voting against the legislation, while the left-wing group abstained.

Labor unions have organized multiple protests calling for the law's repeal this month that halted transportation and public services to a stop.

Government Justification and Worker Safeguards

A senior official defended the bill, stating the reforms bring in line Greek legislation with current employment conditions, and alleged opposition leaders of misinforming the citizens.

The laws will provide employees the choice to accept extra work with the same employer for 40% higher pay, while ensuring they will not be fired for refusing overtime.

The measure follows EU labor regulations, which limit the mean workweek to forty-eight hours including extra hours but permit flexibility over 12 months, as stated by the government.

Opposition Viewpoints and Union Reactions

But, opposition parties have charged the administration of weakening employee protections and "driving the country back to a labor middle age." They say Greek workers already work longer hours than most EU citizens while earning less and still "struggle to make ends meet."

The public-sector union said flexible working hours in reality mean "the abolition of the eight-hour day, the destruction of personal time and the legalisation of over-exploitation."

Previous Labor Changes and Economic Background

Last year, the country introduced a six-day working week for specific industries in a attempt to boost economic growth.

Recent laws, which came into effect at the start of the summer, permit employees to labor up to forty-eight hours in a week as opposed to 40.

European Work Statistics and Greek Economic Metrics

• Throughout the EU in 2024, the longest working weeks were observed in Greece (39.8 hours), followed by Bulgaria, Poland and Romania.
• The shortest working week in the union is in the Netherlands, as per EU statistics.
• As of this year, Greece's official base pay was nine hundred sixty-eight euros a month, ranking it in the lower tier among European nations.
• Joblessness, which had reached a high at 28% during the financial crisis, was 8.1% in August versus an EU average of 5.9%, figures from the statistical office show.
• Greece is improving since its decade-long financial troubles, which ended in 2018, but salaries and living standards continue to be among the lowest in the European Union.