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Government Building

The Greek parliament has ratified a contentious labor reform that permits 13-hour working days, in the face of strong opposition and nationwide strike actions.

The administration asserted the law will revamp Greek labor regulations, but critics from the progressive faction described it as a "legislative monstrosity."

Key Provisions of the New Work Legislation

Under the newly enacted law, annual extra hours is also at 150 hours, while the standard 40-hour week stays unchanged.

Officials emphasizes that the longer workday is voluntary, only applies to the business sector, and can exclusively be implemented for up to thirty-seven days each year.

Parliamentary Backing and Resistance

Thursday's vote was backed by lawmakers from the ruling conservative political group, with the moderate party – now the primary opposition – voting against the bill, while the progressive group abstained.

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

Government Justification and Worker Safeguards

The Labor Minister supported the bill, stating the changes align national legislation with modern employment realities, and alleged critics of misleading the public.

These regulations will provide employees the option to take on extra work with the same employer for 40% higher pay, while guaranteeing they cannot be fired for refusing overtime.

The measure complies with European Union working-time rules, which limit the mean week to forty-eight hours including extra hours but allow adjustments over 12 months, according to the administration.

Opposition Perspectives and Labor Reactions

But, opposition parties have accused the administration of eroding workers' rights and "driving the country back to a medieval work era." They say local employees already work longer hours than most EU citizens while receiving lower pay and still "face financial difficulties."

A major labor organization said variable shifts in practice mean "the end of the standard workday, the destruction of family and social life and the legalisation of excessive labor."

Previous Labor Changes and Economic Background

In 2024, the country enacted a six-day work schedule for certain sectors in a attempt to stimulate the economy.

New laws, which started at the start of July, allow employees to labor up to 48 hours in a week as instead of 40.

EU Labor Data and National Financial Metrics

• Throughout the EU in 2024, the longest working weeks were observed in the Hellenic Republic, then Bulgaria (39.0), Poland (38.9) and Romania.
• The lowest work hours in the bloc is in the Netherlands (32.1), as per Eurostat.
• Starting this year, the nation's national base pay stood at €968 a month, ranking it in the bottom group among EU countries.
• Joblessness, which had reached a high at twenty-eight percent during the financial crisis, was 8.1% in August versus an European mean of 5.9%, data from the statistical office indicate.
• The country is recovering since its prolonged financial troubles, which concluded in recent years, but wages and living standards remain among the lowest in the EU.