Greece Passes Disputed Workplace Legislation Authorizing Extended Working Days in Specific Situations

Government Building

Greece's parliament has given the green light a disputed labor reform that enables 13-hour work shifts, in the face of strong opposition and nationwide protests.

The administration asserted the law will revamp the country's labor regulations, but critics from the progressive faction labeled it as a "regulatory disaster."

Main Provisions of the Recently Passed Work Legislation

According to the freshly approved legislation, yearly overtime is limited at 150 hours, while the standard forty-hour workweek continues as before.

The government maintains that the extended workday is voluntary, solely applies to the business sector, and can only be used for up to thirty-seven days annually.

Political Backing and Opposition

The recent ballot was supported by lawmakers from the governing conservative party, with the moderate party – now the primary opposition – voting against the bill, while the left-wing party did not vote.

Worker organizations have organized two general strikes calling for the bill's withdrawal this month that halted public transport and public services to a stop.

Government Justification and Employee Safeguards

A senior official supported the bill, stating the changes bring in line Greek legislation with modern labor-market conditions, and accused opposition leaders of misleading the citizens.

The laws will give employees the choice to accept extra work with the current company for 40% higher pay, while guaranteeing they will not be dismissed for declining extra hours.

The measure follows European Union working-time rules, which limit the average workweek to 48 hours including overtime but permit adjustments over a year, according to the administration.

Critical Viewpoints and Union Reactions

But, critics have charged the administration of weakening workers' rights and "pushing the country back to a labor middle age." They say Greek workers currently work longer hours than most EU citizens while receiving lower pay and still "face financial difficulties."

A major labor organization said flexible working hours in practice mean "the end of the eight-hour day, the disruption of personal time and the authorization of over-exploitation."

Previous Labor Changes and Financial Context

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

Recent laws, which started at the start of July, permit workers to labor up to 48 hours in a week as opposed to forty.

EU Labor Statistics and National Financial Metrics

• Across the EU in 2024, the highest working weeks were recorded in the Hellenic Republic, then Bulgaria (39.0), Poland (38.9) and Romania (38.8).
• The shortest working week in the union is in the Netherlands (32.1), according to EU statistics.
• As of January 2025, Greece's national base pay was nine hundred sixty-eight euros a month, ranking it in the bottom group among EU countries.
• Joblessness, which had peaked at twenty-eight percent during the financial crisis, was 8.1% in August versus an EU average of 5.9%, figures from the statistical office show.
• Greece is improving since its decade-long financial troubles, which ended in recent years, but salaries and quality of life continue to be among the poorest in the European Union.