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Government Building

Greece's parliament has ratified a disputed labor reform that authorizes 13-hour working days, despite widespread resistance and countrywide strike actions.

Government officials asserted the measure will modernize Greek work laws, but opposition figures from the left-wing party described it as a "legislative monstrosity."

Main Provisions of the Recently Passed Work Legislation

Under the freshly approved legislation, annual extra hours is also at 150 hours, while the standard 40-hour workweek continues as before.

Officials emphasizes that the longer shift is voluntary, only applies to the private sector, and can exclusively be applied for up to thirty-seven days annually.

Parliamentary Support and Opposition

The recent ballot was supported by lawmakers from the ruling centre-right party, with the moderate faction – currently the main resistance – rejecting the bill, while the progressive party did not vote.

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

Official Justification and Employee Protections

A senior official defended the bill, saying the reforms bring in line Greek legislation with current labor-market realities, and alleged opposition leaders of misinforming the citizens.

These regulations will give workers the choice to take on extra work with the current company for increased pay, while guaranteeing they cannot be dismissed for refusing extra hours.

This complies with EU labor regulations, which cap the average workweek to 48 hours counting overtime but permit adjustments over a year, as stated by the administration.

Critical Viewpoints and Union Reactions

However, critics have charged the government of weakening employee protections and "pushing the country back to a labor middle age." They argue Greek employees already work longer hours than most Europeans while receiving lower pay and still "face financial difficulties."

The public-sector union stated flexible working hours in reality mean "the abolition of the standard workday, the disruption of personal time and the authorization of over-exploitation."

Recent Labor Reforms and Financial Background

In 2024, the country enacted a six-day working week for specific industries in a attempt to boost the economy.

New legislation, which came into effect at the beginning of the summer, allow employees to work up to 48 hours in a week as instead of 40.

European Work Statistics and National Economic Indicators

• Across the European Union in 2024, the longest average hours were recorded in Greece (39.8 hours), then Bulgaria (39.0), Poland (38.9) and Romania.
• The shortest work hours in the bloc is in the Netherlands, as per EU statistics.
• Starting this year, Greece's national base pay stood at €968 a month, placing it in the lower tier among European nations.
• Unemployment, which had reached a high at twenty-eight percent during the financial crisis, was eight point one percent in the summer versus an EU average of 5.9%, data from the statistical office indicate.
• The country is improving since its decade-long financial troubles, which ended in recent years, but salaries and quality of life remain among the poorest in the European Union.