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Government Building

The Greek legislature has approved a contentious labor reform that enables extended-length work shifts, despite strong opposition and countrywide protests.

Government officials stated the measure will modernize Greek work laws, but critics from the progressive party described it as a "legislative monstrosity."

Main Provisions of the Recently Passed Work Legislation

According to the newly enacted legislation, annual overtime is also at one hundred and fifty hours, while the regular 40-hour week continues as before.

Officials insists that the longer workday is optional, solely affects the private sector, and can exclusively be used for up to thirty-seven days annually.

Parliamentary Support and Opposition

Thursday's vote was supported by MPs from the governing conservative political group, with the centre-left faction – currently the primary opposition – voting against the legislation, while the progressive group abstained.

Labor unions have organized two general strikes demanding the bill's withdrawal this month that brought public transport and services to a stop.

Official Justification and Employee Safeguards

A senior official defended the legislation, claiming the changes bring in line Greek legislation with modern labor-market realities, and accused critics of misinforming the public.

The laws will give workers the option to take on additional hours with the same employer for increased pay, while ensuring they will not be fired for refusing extra hours.

This complies with European Union labor rules, which limit the average week to forty-eight hours counting extra hours but permit flexibility over 12 months, as stated by the administration.

Opposition Perspectives and Labor Responses

However, opposition parties have accused the administration of eroding employee protections and "driving the country back to a medieval work era." They argue Greek employees currently work longer hours than most Europeans while receiving lower pay and still "face financial difficulties."

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

Previous Labor Changes and Financial Background

In 2024, Greece enacted a six-day working week for certain sectors in a bid to boost economic growth.

New legislation, which started at the beginning of July, permit workers to work 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 highest average hours were observed in Greece (39.8 hours), followed by Bulgaria (39.0), Poland and Romania (38.8).
• The lowest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands, as per Eurostat.
• As of January 2025, the nation's national base pay stood at nine hundred sixty-eight euros a month, ranking it in the lower tier among European nations.
• Joblessness, which had reached a high at 28% during the financial crisis, was eight point one percent in August versus an EU average of five point nine percent, data from Eurostat show.
• Greece is improving since its decade-long financial troubles, which concluded in 2018, but wages and quality of life continue to be among the poorest in the EU.