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Government Building

Greece's legislature has given the green light a disputed work legislation that authorizes 13-hour working days, in the face of strong resistance and nationwide strike actions.

The administration claimed the law will revamp the country's work laws, but critics from the left-wing party labeled it as a "legislative monstrosity."

Key Elements of the Recently Passed Work Legislation

According to the newly enacted legislation, yearly overtime is capped at 150 hours, while the standard forty-hour week remains in place.

Officials maintains that the extended shift is optional, solely affects the private sector, and can exclusively be applied for up to 37 days annually.

Political Support and Resistance

Thursday's vote was supported by MPs from the ruling centre-right party, with the centre-left faction – now the primary resistance – voting against the bill, while the left-wing party abstained.

Labor unions have organized two general strikes demanding the bill's withdrawal this month that brought transportation and public services to a stop.

Government Justification and Worker Protections

A senior official defended the legislation, claiming the changes align Greek legislation with current employment realities, and alleged opposition leaders of misinforming the public.

The laws will provide workers the choice to take on extra work with the same employer for 40% higher pay, while ensuring they will not be dismissed for refusing overtime.

This follows European Union working-time rules, which cap the average workweek to 48 hours counting extra hours but permit adjustments over a year, according to the government.

Opposition Perspectives and Union Responses

However, critics have charged the government of weakening workers' rights and "driving the country back to a labor middle age." They argue Greek workers already work longer hours than the majority of Europeans while earning less and still "face financial difficulties."

A major labor organization said flexible working hours in practice mean "the end of the standard workday, the disruption of personal time and the legalisation of excessive labor."

Previous Workplace Reforms and Financial Context

Last year, the country introduced a six-day working week for certain industries in a bid to boost the economy.

Recent legislation, which came into effect at the start of July, permit employees to labor up to 48 hours in a workweek as opposed to 40.

European Labor Statistics and Greek Economic Metrics

• Across the EU in 2024, the highest average hours were observed in the Hellenic Republic, then Bulgaria (39.0), Poland (38.9) and Romania (38.8).
• The shortest work hours in the bloc is in the Netherlands, as per Eurostat.
• As of January 2025, the nation's official minimum wage was €968 a month, ranking it in the bottom group among European nations.
• Unemployment, which had peaked at twenty-eight percent during the financial crisis, was eight point one percent in the summer versus an EU average of 5.9%, data from the statistical office show.
• Greece is improving since its decade-long debt crisis, which concluded in recent years, but salaries and quality of life continue to be among the lowest in the European Union.