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Government Building

Greece's legislature has ratified a contentious labor reform that enables extended-length work shifts, despite widespread opposition and countrywide strike actions.

Government officials claimed the law will update Greek labor regulations, but critics from the left-wing faction described it as a "legislative monstrosity."

Key Elements of the Recently Passed Work Legislation

Under the newly enacted law, annual overtime is also at 150 hours, while the regular 40-hour week continues as before.

The government emphasizes that the extended workday is optional, solely affects the private sector, and can exclusively be applied for up to 37 days annually.

Political Backing and Opposition

Thursday's ballot was backed by MPs from the governing conservative party, with the moderate faction – currently the primary opposition – rejecting the bill, while the left-wing group abstained.

Labor unions have organized multiple protests calling for the law's repeal recently that brought transportation and services to a standstill.

Official Defense and Worker Safeguards

A senior official supported the bill, stating the reforms bring in line Greek laws with modern labor-market realities, and alleged opposition leaders of misinforming the citizens.

The laws will provide workers the option to take on extra work with the current company for increased pay, while ensuring they cannot be fired for refusing overtime.

The measure follows EU working-time regulations, which cap the average workweek to forty-eight hours including extra hours but allow flexibility over 12 months, according to the administration.

Critical Perspectives and Union Responses

However, critics have accused the administration of eroding workers' rights and "driving the country back to a labor middle age." They argue Greek employees already put in more time than the majority of EU citizens while earning less and still "face financial difficulties."

The public-sector union said flexible working hours in reality mean "the abolition of the eight-hour day, the destruction of personal time and the authorization of excessive labor."

Recent Labor Changes and Economic Context

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

New legislation, which came into effect at the start of the summer, allow workers to work up to forty-eight hours in a week as opposed to 40.

European Work Data and Greek Economic Indicators

• Across the European Union in 2024, the highest working weeks were observed in Greece (39.8 hours), followed by Bulgaria, Poland and Romania.
• The lowest working week in the union is in the Netherlands, as per EU statistics.
• As of January 2025, Greece's national minimum wage was €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 compared with an EU average of five point nine percent, data from the statistical office show.
• The country is recovering since its prolonged debt crisis, which ended in recent years, but wages and quality of life remain among the poorest in the European Union.