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Government Building

The Greek parliament has given the green light a hotly debated work legislation that permits extended-length work shifts, despite fierce opposition and countrywide protests.

Government officials stated the measure will update the country's labor regulations, but opposition figures from the left-wing faction described it as a "harmful law."

Main Elements of the New Labor Law

Under the newly enacted law, yearly overtime is also at one hundred and fifty hours, while the standard 40-hour workweek remains in place.

Officials emphasizes that the longer workday is optional, solely affects the business sector, and can exclusively be applied for up to 37 days annually.

Political Backing and Resistance

The recent ballot was supported by MPs from the governing conservative political group, with the moderate party – now the primary opposition – voting against the legislation, while the progressive group abstained.

Labor unions have staged multiple protests calling for the bill's withdrawal recently that halted transportation and services to a stop.

Official Justification and Worker Protections

The Labor Minister supported the bill, stating the reforms bring in line national laws with current employment realities, and alleged opposition leaders of misinforming the public.

The laws will give employees the choice to take on additional hours with the current company for increased pay, while ensuring they cannot be fired for declining overtime.

This follows European Union labor rules, which cap the average week to 48 hours counting overtime but permit flexibility over a year, as stated by the administration.

Critical Perspectives and Labor Reactions

But, opposition parties have accused the government of weakening employee protections and "pushing the nation back to a labor middle age." They argue Greek employees already put in more time than most EU citizens while receiving lower pay and still "face financial difficulties."

The public-sector union stated flexible working hours in reality mean "the end of the standard workday, the destruction of family and social life and the authorization of over-exploitation."

Recent Workplace Reforms and Financial Context

In 2024, Greece enacted a six-day work schedule for certain industries in a attempt to boost the economy.

Recent legislation, which started at the start of the summer, allow employees to labor up to forty-eight hours in a week as opposed to 40.

EU Work Data and National Economic Indicators

• Throughout the EU in 2024, the longest average hours were recorded in Greece (39.8 hours), then Bulgaria, Poland (38.9) and Romania (38.8).
• The lowest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands, as per EU statistics.
• Starting January 2025, Greece's national base pay was €968 a month, placing it in the lower tier among European nations.
• Joblessness, which had reached a high at 28% during the economic downturn, was 8.1% in August compared with an EU average of five point nine percent, data from the statistical office show.
• Greece is recovering since its prolonged financial troubles, which ended in recent years, but salaries and living standards remain among the poorest in the European Union.