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Government Building

Greece's legislature has ratified a contentious labor reform that authorizes extended-length work shifts, despite fierce opposition and countrywide protests.

The administration stated the law will update Greek work laws, but opposition figures from the progressive party described it as a "regulatory disaster."

Main Provisions of the Recently Passed Labor Law

According to the freshly approved legislation, yearly overtime is capped at 150 hours, while the regular 40-hour workweek continues as before.

The government maintains that the extended workday is voluntary, only applies to the private sector, and can exclusively be implemented for up to thirty-seven days each year.

Political Support and Opposition

Thursday's vote was supported by lawmakers from the ruling centre-right political group, with the moderate party – currently the main opposition – rejecting the bill, while the left-wing group did not vote.

Worker organizations have staged two general strikes demanding the bill's withdrawal this month that brought public transport and public services to a standstill.

Official Justification and Worker Safeguards

The Labor Minister defended the bill, saying the changes align Greek laws with current labor-market conditions, and alleged opposition leaders of misleading the citizens.

The laws will provide employees the choice to take on additional hours with the same employer for 40% higher compensation, while ensuring they will not be fired for declining overtime.

The measure follows EU working-time regulations, which limit the average week to forty-eight hours including extra hours but allow adjustments over a year, as stated by the government.

Critical Viewpoints and Union Reactions

However, opposition parties have charged the government of weakening workers' rights and "driving the nation back to a medieval work era." They say local workers already put in more time than most EU citizens while receiving lower pay and still "struggle to make ends meet."

The public-sector union said variable shifts in reality mean "the end of the standard workday, the destruction of family and social life and the authorization of excessive labor."

Recent Labor Changes and Financial Context

Last year, Greece enacted a six-day working week for specific industries in a attempt to stimulate economic growth.

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

European Work Data and National Financial Indicators

• Throughout the EU in 2024, the highest average hours were observed in the Hellenic Republic, then Bulgaria (39.0), Poland and Romania.
• The shortest working week in the union is in the Netherlands, as per Eurostat.
• As of this year, the nation's national minimum wage was €968 a month, placing it in the bottom group among EU countries.
• Unemployment, which had peaked at 28% during the economic downturn, was 8.1% in the summer versus an European mean of 5.9%, figures from the statistical office indicate.
• The country is improving since its decade-long debt crisis, which concluded in recent years, but salaries and living standards continue to be among the poorest in the European Union.