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Government Building

The Greek legislature has given the green light a disputed labor reform that permits extended-length working days, despite fierce opposition and nationwide strike actions.

The administration claimed the measure will modernize Greek work laws, but opposition figures from the left-wing faction described it as a "regulatory disaster."

Main Provisions of the New Labor Law

Under the newly enacted legislation, annual extra hours is capped at 150 hours, while the standard forty-hour week continues as before.

The government emphasizes that the longer shift is optional, only affects the business sector, and can only be implemented for up to 37 days each year.

Political Support and Opposition

Thursday's ballot was supported by MPs from the governing conservative party, with the centre-left party – currently the main opposition – rejecting the bill, while the progressive party abstained.

Labor unions have staged multiple protests calling for the bill's withdrawal this month that brought transportation and services to a standstill.

Official Justification and Worker Protections

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

These regulations will give workers the option to accept additional hours with the current company for 40% higher pay, while guaranteeing they will not be fired for refusing overtime.

The measure complies with European Union working-time regulations, which cap the mean workweek to 48 hours including overtime but allow adjustments over a year, as stated by the administration.

Opposition Viewpoints and Labor Reactions

However, opposition parties have charged the administration of weakening employee protections and "driving the country back to a labor middle age." They say Greek employees currently work longer hours than the majority of EU citizens while earning less and still "struggle to make ends meet."

A major labor organization stated flexible working hours in reality mean "the abolition of the eight-hour day, the destruction of personal time and the legalisation of over-exploitation."

Previous Labor Reforms and Economic Background

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

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

EU Labor Data and Greek Financial Indicators

• Across the EU in the previous year, the highest working weeks were recorded in the Hellenic Republic, followed by Bulgaria, Poland and Romania (38.8).
• The lowest work hours in the union is in the Netherlands, as per Eurostat.
• Starting this year, Greece's official base pay stood at €968 a month, placing it in the bottom group among European nations.
• Unemployment, which had reached a high at 28% during the financial crisis, was eight point one percent in the summer versus an EU average of five point nine percent, data from Eurostat show.
• The country is recovering since its prolonged debt crisis, which concluded in 2018, but wages and living standards remain among the lowest in the EU.