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Government Building

The Greek legislature has given the green light a contentious labor reform that authorizes 13-hour work shifts, in the face of widespread resistance and countrywide strike actions.

Government officials stated the law will modernize Greek labor regulations, but opposition figures from the left-wing party labeled it as a "harmful law."

Key Elements of the New Labor Law

According to the freshly approved law, annual extra hours is also at one hundred and fifty hours, while the standard 40-hour workweek remains in place.

The government emphasizes that the longer workday is elective, only applies to the private sector, and can exclusively be applied for up to 37 days annually.

Political Backing and Opposition

The recent vote was supported by MPs from the ruling conservative party, with the moderate faction – now the main opposition – rejecting the bill, while the left-wing group abstained.

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

Government Defense and Worker Safeguards

The Labor Minister supported the bill, stating the reforms bring in line national laws with modern labor-market realities, and accused opposition leaders of misinforming the public.

These regulations will give workers the choice to accept extra work with the same employer for 40% higher compensation, while guaranteeing they cannot be dismissed for declining extra hours.

This complies with EU labor regulations, which limit the average workweek to forty-eight hours including extra hours but permit flexibility over a year, according to the administration.

Critical Viewpoints and Labor Reactions

However, opposition parties have charged the administration of eroding workers' rights and "pushing the country back to a labor middle age." They argue local workers already work longer hours than the majority of Europeans while earning less and still "struggle to make ends meet."

The public-sector union stated variable shifts in practice mean "the abolition of the eight-hour day, the disruption of personal time and the authorization of excessive labor."

Recent Workplace Changes and Financial Background

Last year, the country enacted a six-day work schedule for certain sectors in a attempt to boost economic growth.

Recent laws, which came into effect at the beginning of July, permit employees to work up to forty-eight hours in a week as opposed to forty.

EU Work Statistics and Greek Economic Metrics

• Throughout the European Union in 2024, the highest working weeks were observed in the Hellenic Republic, then Bulgaria (39.0), Poland (38.9) and Romania.
• The shortest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands, as per EU statistics.
• Starting January 2025, Greece's national base pay was nine hundred sixty-eight euros a month, ranking it in the bottom group among European nations.
• Joblessness, which had reached a high at 28% during the financial crisis, was eight point one percent in August versus an EU average of five point nine percent, figures from the statistical office indicate.
• Greece is recovering since its prolonged debt crisis, which ended in recent years, but salaries and quality of life remain among the lowest in the European Union.