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Government Building

The Greek parliament has approved a contentious work legislation that authorizes extended-length working days, in the face of strong opposition and countrywide protests.

The administration stated the law will revamp the country's labor regulations, but critics from the left-wing party labeled it as a "harmful law."

Main Elements of the New Work Legislation

Under the freshly approved legislation, yearly overtime is also at 150 hours, while the standard forty-hour week stays unchanged.

The government insists that the longer shift is optional, only applies to the business sector, and can exclusively be applied for up to 37 days annually.

Political Support and Opposition

The recent vote was backed by MPs from the governing conservative political group, with the centre-left party – currently the main resistance – voting against the legislation, while the left-wing group abstained.

Worker organizations have organized two general strikes calling for the law's repeal recently that halted public transport and services to a standstill.

Government Justification and Employee Safeguards

A senior official defended the legislation, saying the changes bring in line Greek laws with modern labor-market realities, and alleged opposition leaders of misleading the citizens.

These regulations will give workers the option to accept extra work with the current company for increased compensation, while guaranteeing they cannot be dismissed for declining overtime.

The measure complies with European Union labor regulations, which cap the mean week to forty-eight hours including overtime but permit flexibility over 12 months, as stated by the government.

Opposition Perspectives and Union Responses

However, critics have charged the government of eroding workers' rights and "driving the nation back to a labor middle age." They say Greek workers already work longer hours than the majority of EU citizens while receiving lower pay and still "face financial difficulties."

A major labor organization stated flexible working hours in reality mean "the end of the standard workday, the destruction of personal time and the legalisation of over-exploitation."

Previous Labor Reforms and Economic Context

In 2024, Greece enacted a six-day working week for specific industries in a attempt to stimulate economic growth.

Recent laws, which started at the start of July, allow employees to labor up to 48 hours in a workweek as opposed to 40.

EU Labor Statistics and Greek Financial Metrics

• Throughout the EU in 2024, the longest working weeks were recorded in Greece (39.8 hours), then Bulgaria (39.0), Poland and Romania (38.8).
• The shortest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands (32.1), according to Eurostat.
• Starting this year, the nation's national base pay was €968 a month, ranking it in the bottom group among EU countries.
• Joblessness, which had peaked at 28% during the financial crisis, was eight point one percent in August compared with an EU average of five point nine percent, figures from the statistical office indicate.
• Greece is recovering since its decade-long financial troubles, which ended in recent years, but wages and quality of life continue to be among the lowest in the EU.