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Government Building

Greece's legislature has ratified a hotly debated work legislation that enables extended-length work shifts, despite strong resistance and nationwide protests.

Government officials stated the measure will modernize the country's work laws, but critics from the progressive faction described it as a "legislative monstrosity."

Key Elements of the New Labor Law

Under the newly enacted law, annual overtime is limited at 150 hours, while the regular 40-hour week continues as before.

Officials maintains that the longer workday is elective, only applies to the business sector, and can only be used for up to thirty-seven days each year.

Parliamentary Backing and Resistance

Thursday's ballot was backed by lawmakers from the governing centre-right political group, with the centre-left faction – currently the primary opposition – voting against the bill, while the left-wing group did not vote.

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

Government Justification and Worker Safeguards

A senior official supported the bill, claiming the reforms bring in line Greek laws with current labor-market conditions, and alleged opposition leaders of misinforming the public.

These regulations will provide workers the choice to take on additional hours with the same employer for increased compensation, while ensuring they will not be fired for refusing overtime.

The measure complies with European Union labor regulations, which cap the mean week to 48 hours including extra hours but allow flexibility over 12 months, according to the administration.

Opposition Viewpoints and Labor Reactions

But, opposition parties have accused the government of weakening employee protections and "pushing the nation back to a medieval work era." They say Greek workers currently put in more time than the majority of Europeans while earning less and still "struggle to make ends meet."

A major labor organization stated flexible working hours in practice mean "the end of the eight-hour day, the destruction of family and social life and the legalisation of excessive labor."

Recent Labor Changes and Economic Context

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

Recent legislation, which started at the start of July, permit employees to work up to forty-eight hours in a workweek as instead of forty.

EU Work Data and Greek Economic Metrics

• Across the European Union in 2024, the longest working weeks were observed in the Hellenic Republic, followed by Bulgaria, Poland and Romania (38.8).
• The shortest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands, according to EU statistics.
• Starting January 2025, the nation's official base pay stood at €968 a month, placing it in the bottom group among European nations.
• Joblessness, which had peaked at twenty-eight percent during the economic downturn, was eight point one percent in the summer versus an European mean of 5.9%, figures from Eurostat show.
• Greece is recovering since its decade-long debt crisis, which ended in recent years, but wages and quality of life continue to be among the lowest in the European Union.