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Government Building

The Greek parliament has approved a disputed labor reform that enables extended-length work shifts, in the face of fierce resistance and nationwide protests.

The administration claimed the law will revamp the country's labor regulations, but opposition figures from the left-wing faction described it as a "regulatory disaster."

Key Elements of the New Work Legislation

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

Officials maintains that the longer workday is elective, only affects the private sector, and can exclusively be used for up to thirty-seven days each year.

Parliamentary Backing and Resistance

Thursday's vote was backed by lawmakers from the governing conservative party, with the centre-left faction – currently the main opposition – rejecting the bill, while the left-wing party abstained.

Labor unions have staged multiple protests demanding the law's repeal recently that halted transportation and public services to a standstill.

Official Justification and Worker Protections

The Labor Minister defended the legislation, claiming the changes align Greek laws with modern employment conditions, and alleged opposition leaders of misleading the citizens.

The laws will provide workers the choice to accept additional hours with the same employer for 40% higher pay, while guaranteeing they cannot be dismissed for refusing overtime.

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

Critical Perspectives and Labor Responses

But, opposition parties have accused the administration of eroding employee protections and "driving the nation back to a labor middle age." They argue Greek workers currently put in more time than the majority of Europeans while earning less and still "face financial difficulties."

The public-sector union said variable shifts in reality mean "the end of the eight-hour day, the disruption of family and social life and the legalisation of over-exploitation."

Recent Labor Reforms and Economic Background

In 2024, the country enacted a six-day work schedule for specific industries in a attempt to stimulate the economy.

Recent legislation, which came into effect at the beginning of the summer, permit employees to work up to forty-eight hours in a week as instead of forty.

EU Labor Data and National Financial Metrics

• Throughout the European Union in 2024, the longest average hours were observed in Greece (39.8 hours), then Bulgaria (39.0), Poland and Romania (38.8).
• The shortest work hours in the bloc is in the Netherlands, according to Eurostat.
• Starting January 2025, the nation's official minimum wage was €968 a month, placing it in the bottom group among European nations.
• Joblessness, which had peaked at 28% during the economic downturn, was 8.1% in August versus an EU average of five point nine percent, figures from Eurostat indicate.
• Greece is improving since its decade-long debt crisis, which concluded in 2018, but wages and quality of life remain among the lowest in the EU.