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Government Building

Greece's parliament has given the green light a hotly debated work legislation that enables extended-length work shifts, in the face of widespread opposition and nationwide protests.

Government officials claimed the law will revamp Greek labor regulations, but critics from the progressive party labeled it as a "harmful law."

Key Provisions of the New Labor Law

Under the freshly approved law, annual overtime is also at 150 hours, while the standard forty-hour workweek remains in place.

The government maintains that the longer shift is voluntary, only affects the business sector, and can exclusively be implemented for up to thirty-seven days each year.

Political Backing and Opposition

Thursday's ballot was supported by MPs from the governing centre-right party, with the centre-left faction – currently the main resistance – rejecting the bill, while the progressive party 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 standstill.

Government Defense and Worker Protections

A senior official supported the legislation, saying the reforms align national legislation with modern labor-market realities, and accused critics of misleading the public.

The laws will give workers the choice to accept extra work with the same employer for 40% higher compensation, while ensuring they cannot be fired for declining overtime.

The measure follows European Union working-time rules, which limit the average workweek to 48 hours counting overtime but allow adjustments over 12 months, according to the government.

Critical Viewpoints and Labor Reactions

However, critics have charged the administration of eroding workers' rights and "driving the country back to a labor middle age." They argue Greek employees currently put in more time than most EU citizens while earning less and still "face financial difficulties."

The public-sector union stated flexible working hours in reality mean "the end of the eight-hour day, the destruction of family and social life and the authorization of over-exploitation."

Previous Workplace Changes and Financial Background

Last year, Greece introduced a six-day working week for certain industries in a attempt to stimulate the economy.

New legislation, which started at the beginning of July, allow workers to work up to 48 hours in a workweek as opposed to forty.

EU Work Statistics and National Economic Indicators

• Across the European Union in 2024, the highest working weeks were recorded in the Hellenic Republic, then Bulgaria (39.0), Poland (38.9) and Romania.
• The shortest working week in the union is in the Netherlands, as per Eurostat.
• As of this year, the nation's national base pay was €968 a month, ranking it in the lower tier among EU countries.
• Unemployment, which had peaked at 28% during the financial crisis, was 8.1% in August compared with an EU average of 5.9%, figures from Eurostat indicate.
• Greece is improving since its prolonged debt crisis, which concluded in recent years, but wages and living standards remain among the poorest in the European Union.