Greece Passes Controversial Labor Legislation Permitting Extended Working Days in Certain Situations

Government Building

Greece's legislature has approved a disputed labor reform that enables 13-hour work shifts, despite fierce opposition and countrywide protests.

The administration asserted the measure will modernize the country's work laws, but opposition figures from the left-wing party labeled it as a "harmful law."

Key Elements of the Recently Passed Labor Law

Under the freshly approved legislation, yearly extra hours is also at one hundred and fifty hours, while the standard 40-hour workweek stays unchanged.

Officials emphasizes that the longer workday is optional, solely applies to the private sector, and can exclusively be used for up to 37 days annually.

Political Support and Opposition

The recent ballot was backed by MPs from the governing centre-right party, with the centre-left party – currently the primary opposition – voting against the legislation, while the left-wing group did not vote.

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

Official Justification and Worker Safeguards

A senior official supported the legislation, saying the reforms bring in line national legislation with current labor-market conditions, and alleged critics of misleading the citizens.

The laws will provide employees the choice to take on extra work with the current company for 40% higher pay, while guaranteeing they will not be fired for declining extra hours.

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

Critical Viewpoints and Union Reactions

However, critics have accused the administration of weakening employee protections and "driving the nation back to a labor middle age." They argue local workers currently work longer hours than the majority of EU citizens while receiving lower pay and still "face financial difficulties."

The public-sector union said 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 Changes and Economic Context

In 2024, the country introduced a six-day work schedule for certain industries in a bid to stimulate the economy.

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

European Work Data and National Economic Metrics

• Across the European Union in the previous year, the longest average hours were observed in Greece (39.8 hours), then Bulgaria, Poland (38.9) and Romania.
• The shortest working week in the union is in the Netherlands (32.1), according to EU statistics.
• Starting this year, Greece's national minimum wage was €968 a month, placing it in the bottom group among European nations.
• Unemployment, which had reached a high at twenty-eight percent during the economic downturn, was eight point one percent in the summer versus an EU average of five point nine percent, figures from Eurostat indicate.
• The country is recovering since its prolonged debt crisis, which ended in 2018, but wages and quality of life continue to be among the lowest in the European Union.