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Government Building

Greece's parliament has ratified a hotly debated work legislation that enables extended-length work shifts, in the face of widespread resistance and nationwide strike actions.

Government officials stated the measure will update the country's work laws, but opposition figures from the progressive party labeled it as a "regulatory disaster."

Key Provisions of the Recently Passed Work Legislation

According to the newly enacted law, yearly overtime is capped at one hundred and fifty hours, while the standard 40-hour week continues as before.

Officials maintains that the longer shift is elective, only affects the private sector, and can only be implemented for up to 37 days annually.

Parliamentary Support and Opposition

The recent ballot was backed by lawmakers from the governing centre-right party, with the moderate faction – currently the main resistance – voting against the bill, while the left-wing party abstained.

Worker organizations have staged multiple protests calling for the law's repeal recently that halted public transport and public services to a standstill.

Official Justification and Employee Protections

A senior official defended the legislation, claiming the changes bring in line Greek legislation with current labor-market conditions, and alleged opposition leaders of misinforming the public.

These regulations will provide workers the option to take on extra work with the current company for 40% higher compensation, while ensuring they cannot be dismissed for refusing extra hours.

This follows European Union labor regulations, which cap the average week to 48 hours including overtime but allow adjustments over a year, according to the government.

Opposition Perspectives and Union Reactions

However, critics have accused the administration of eroding workers' rights and "driving the country back to a medieval work era." They argue Greek employees already work longer hours than the majority of Europeans 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 destruction of personal time and the legalisation of over-exploitation."

Previous Labor Reforms and Economic Background

Last year, the country introduced a six-day work schedule for specific sectors in a attempt to stimulate economic growth.

New laws, which started at the start of July, permit employees to labor up to forty-eight hours in a workweek as opposed to forty.

EU Labor Statistics and Greek Economic Indicators

• Throughout the EU in 2024, the longest working weeks were observed in Greece (39.8 hours), followed by Bulgaria (39.0), Poland (38.9) and Romania.
• The shortest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands (32.1), as per Eurostat.
• Starting January 2025, Greece's official base pay stood at €968 a month, placing it in the lower tier among EU countries.
• Joblessness, which had peaked at twenty-eight percent during the financial crisis, was eight point one percent in the summer compared with an EU average of 5.9%, figures from the statistical office show.
• The country is improving since its prolonged financial troubles, which ended in recent years, but wages and quality of life continue to be among the poorest in the European Union.