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Government Building

The Greek parliament has ratified a hotly debated work legislation that authorizes 13-hour working days, in the face of fierce opposition and countrywide protests.

Government officials stated the law will update Greek labor regulations, but critics from the left-wing party described it as a "harmful law."

Main Elements of the Recently Passed Labor Law

According to the newly enacted legislation, annual extra hours is capped at 150 hours, while the regular 40-hour week remains in place.

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

Parliamentary Backing and Opposition

Thursday's ballot was backed by MPs from the governing conservative political group, with the moderate party – now the primary resistance – rejecting the bill, while the left-wing party abstained.

Worker organizations have organized multiple protests calling for the bill's withdrawal recently that brought transportation and public services to a standstill.

Government Defense and Employee Protections

A senior official defended the bill, stating the reforms align Greek legislation with modern labor-market realities, and alleged critics of misleading the citizens.

The laws will give employees the option to take on additional hours with the current company for increased pay, while guaranteeing they cannot be fired for declining extra hours.

The measure complies with EU working-time regulations, which cap the average week to forty-eight hours counting extra hours but allow adjustments over a year, according to the government.

Opposition Perspectives and Union Responses

But, critics have accused the government of weakening workers' rights and "pushing the country back to a medieval work era." They say Greek workers already work longer hours than the majority of Europeans while receiving lower pay and still "struggle to make ends meet."

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

Recent Labor Reforms and Economic Background

In 2024, Greece introduced a six-day work schedule for specific sectors in a attempt to boost the economy.

Recent laws, which came into effect at the start of July, allow workers to work up to forty-eight hours in a week as opposed to 40.

European Work Data and National Financial Indicators

• Across the European Union in 2024, the longest working weeks were observed in Greece (39.8 hours), then Bulgaria (39.0), Poland and Romania.
• The lowest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands (32.1), as per Eurostat.
• Starting this year, the nation's national minimum wage stood at €968 a month, ranking it in the lower tier among European nations.
• Unemployment, which had peaked at 28% during the economic downturn, was eight point one percent in the summer compared with an EU average of five point nine percent, data from the statistical office show.
• The country is improving since its prolonged financial troubles, which concluded in 2018, but wages and quality of life remain among the lowest in the EU.