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Government Building

Greece's parliament has approved a contentious work legislation that enables extended-length work shifts, in the face of widespread resistance and countrywide protests.

The administration stated the measure will update the country's work laws, but opposition figures from the left-wing faction labeled it as a "regulatory disaster."

Key Elements of the New Labor Law

Under the freshly approved law, yearly extra hours is also at 150 hours, while the standard forty-hour workweek continues as before.

Officials maintains that the extended workday is optional, solely applies to the business sector, and can only be applied for up to 37 days annually.

Political Backing and Resistance

Thursday's vote was backed by lawmakers from the governing centre-right political group, with the centre-left party – currently the primary opposition – voting against the legislation, while the left-wing group abstained.

Worker organizations have staged two general strikes calling for the law's repeal this month that brought public transport and public services to a stop.

Government Defense and Worker Protections

The Labor Minister supported the legislation, claiming the changes align Greek laws with modern labor-market conditions, and accused opposition leaders of misinforming the public.

These regulations will provide workers the choice to take on extra work with the current company for 40% higher compensation, while guaranteeing they cannot be fired for declining extra hours.

The measure complies with European Union labor rules, which limit the average week to forty-eight hours counting overtime but allow adjustments over 12 months, as stated by the administration.

Opposition Perspectives and Union Responses

But, opposition parties have charged the government of eroding workers' rights and "driving the nation back to a labor middle age." They argue local employees already work longer hours than the majority of Europeans while receiving lower pay and still "face financial difficulties."

A major labor organization said variable shifts in practice mean "the abolition of the standard workday, the destruction of family and social life and the legalisation of over-exploitation."

Previous Workplace Reforms and Financial Context

Last year, Greece enacted a six-day work schedule for specific sectors in a bid to boost the economy.

Recent legislation, which came into effect at the beginning of July, allow employees to labor up to forty-eight hours in a workweek as opposed to 40.

EU Work Data and Greek Financial Metrics

• Throughout the European Union in 2024, the longest working weeks were observed in the Hellenic Republic, followed by Bulgaria (39.0), Poland and Romania.
• The shortest work hours in the union is in the Netherlands, as per Eurostat.
• Starting this year, the nation's official base pay was €968 a month, ranking it in the lower tier among EU countries.
• Joblessness, which had peaked at 28% during the financial crisis, was 8.1% in August compared with an EU average of 5.9%, figures from the statistical office indicate.
• The country is improving since its decade-long financial troubles, which concluded in 2018, but salaries and living standards continue to be among the lowest in the EU.