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Government Building

The Greek parliament has ratified a contentious work legislation that permits 13-hour working days, despite fierce opposition and nationwide strike actions.

The administration claimed the measure will revamp Greek labor regulations, but opposition figures from the progressive faction described it as a "legislative monstrosity."

Main Provisions of the Recently Passed Work Legislation

According to the newly enacted legislation, annual extra hours is also at 150 hours, while the regular 40-hour workweek remains in place.

The government insists that the extended shift is elective, only applies to the business sector, and can only be used for up to 37 days each year.

Parliamentary Backing and Resistance

The recent vote was supported by MPs from the governing conservative political group, with the centre-left party – now the main resistance – rejecting the bill, while the left-wing party abstained.

Worker organizations have staged multiple protests calling for the bill's withdrawal recently that brought public transport and public services to a stop.

Official Defense and Worker Protections

A senior official supported the bill, saying the reforms bring in line Greek legislation with current employment realities, and accused critics of misleading the citizens.

These regulations will provide workers the choice to accept additional hours with the current company for 40% higher pay, while ensuring they will not be fired for refusing extra hours.

The measure follows EU working-time rules, which cap the average week to 48 hours including overtime but allow flexibility over a year, as stated by the administration.

Critical Viewpoints and Union Responses

But, opposition parties have charged the government of weakening employee protections and "driving the country back to a medieval work era." They say local workers currently put in more time than the majority of Europeans while earning less and still "struggle to make ends meet."

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

Previous Workplace Changes and Financial Context

Last year, Greece enacted a six-day working week for certain sectors in a bid to stimulate the economy.

Recent laws, which came into effect at the start of the summer, permit employees to labor up to forty-eight hours in a workweek as instead of 40.

European Labor Data and National Financial Metrics

• Throughout the European Union in the previous year, the highest average hours were observed in Greece (39.8 hours), followed by Bulgaria, Poland and Romania (38.8).
• The lowest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands (32.1), as per Eurostat.
• As of January 2025, the nation's national minimum wage was €968 a month, placing it in the lower tier among EU countries.
• Joblessness, which had peaked at 28% during the economic downturn, was eight point one percent in August versus an EU average of 5.9%, figures from Eurostat show.
• The country is recovering since its decade-long debt crisis, which concluded in 2018, but wages and living standards continue to be among the poorest in the European Union.