🔗 Share this article

Government Building

Greece's parliament has approved a contentious labor reform that authorizes 13-hour work shifts, in the face of widespread opposition and nationwide protests.

Government officials stated the law will modernize the country's labor regulations, but critics from the left-wing party described it as a "legislative monstrosity."

Key Elements of the New Labor Law

Under the newly enacted law, yearly extra hours is also at one hundred and fifty hours, while the regular forty-hour week continues as before.

Officials maintains that the longer workday is elective, solely applies to the business sector, and can only be implemented for up to 37 days each year.

Parliamentary Support and Resistance

Thursday's vote was backed by MPs from the governing conservative political group, with the centre-left party – currently the primary opposition – rejecting the legislation, while the left-wing party did not vote.

Labor unions have staged multiple protests calling for the law's repeal this month that halted public transport and services to a standstill.

Government Justification and Employee Safeguards

The Labor Minister supported the legislation, claiming the changes bring in line national laws with modern employment realities, and accused opposition leaders of misinforming the citizens.

These regulations will provide workers the option to take on additional hours with the same employer for increased compensation, while guaranteeing they will not be fired for refusing overtime.

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

Opposition Perspectives and Labor Reactions

However, opposition parties have charged the administration of weakening employee protections and "pushing the country back to a labor middle age." They argue Greek workers already put in more time than the majority of Europeans while earning less and still "face financial difficulties."

A major labor organization stated flexible working hours in reality mean "the end of the standard workday, the disruption of personal time and the authorization of excessive labor."

Previous Workplace Changes and Economic Context

Last year, the country enacted a six-day working week for specific sectors in a attempt to boost the economy.

Recent legislation, which came into effect at the start of the summer, allow employees to labor up to 48 hours in a workweek as opposed to 40.

EU Work Data and Greek Financial Metrics

• Throughout the EU in 2024, the highest working weeks were observed in the Hellenic Republic, then Bulgaria (39.0), Poland (38.9) and Romania (38.8).
• The shortest work hours in the union is in the Netherlands, as per EU statistics.
• Starting this year, the nation's official base pay was nine hundred sixty-eight euros a month, ranking it in the bottom group among European nations.
• Joblessness, which had reached a high at 28% during the economic downturn, was eight point one percent in the summer versus an EU average of five point nine percent, data from the statistical office indicate.
• The country is improving since its decade-long debt crisis, which concluded in recent years, but wages and quality of life remain among the lowest in the EU.