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Government Building

The Greek parliament has ratified a contentious labor reform that permits 13-hour working days, despite strong opposition and nationwide protests.

The administration claimed the measure will update the country's labor regulations, but critics from the left-wing faction labeled it as a "regulatory disaster."

Key Provisions of the Recently Passed Labor Law

Under the newly enacted legislation, yearly overtime is also at 150 hours, while the standard 40-hour week continues as before.

The government insists that the extended workday is optional, only affects the private sector, and can exclusively be implemented for up to thirty-seven days annually.

Political Backing and Opposition

The recent vote was supported by MPs from the ruling conservative party, with the centre-left faction – currently the primary resistance – voting against the bill, while the progressive party did not vote.

Labor unions have staged multiple protests demanding the bill's withdrawal recently that brought public transport and services to a stop.

Official Defense and Worker Protections

The Labor Minister supported the bill, saying the reforms align national laws with current employment conditions, and alleged critics of misleading the public.

The laws will provide workers the choice to accept extra work with the same employer for increased compensation, while guaranteeing they cannot be dismissed for refusing overtime.

The measure complies with European Union working-time regulations, which cap the mean workweek to 48 hours including overtime but allow flexibility over 12 months, as stated by the administration.

Critical Perspectives and Labor Responses

However, critics have accused the administration of eroding workers' rights and "driving the country back to a medieval work era." They argue local employees already work longer hours than the majority of EU citizens while earning less and still "face financial difficulties."

A major labor organization stated variable shifts in practice mean "the end of the eight-hour day, the disruption of personal time and the authorization of excessive labor."

Previous Workplace Changes and Economic Context

Last year, Greece enacted a six-day work schedule for certain industries in a bid to boost the economy.

Recent legislation, which came into effect at the start of July, permit workers to work up to 48 hours in a workweek as instead of 40.

European Labor Data and Greek Financial Indicators

• Throughout the EU in 2024, the highest working weeks were observed in Greece (39.8 hours), then Bulgaria, Poland and Romania.
• The shortest working week in the union is in the Netherlands (32.1), as per Eurostat.
• As of January 2025, Greece's official minimum wage stood at €968 a month, placing it in the bottom group among EU countries.
• Joblessness, which had peaked at twenty-eight percent during the economic downturn, was 8.1% in August compared with an EU average of five point nine percent, figures from Eurostat show.
• The country is improving since its decade-long financial troubles, which ended in 2018, but wages and quality of life continue to be among the lowest in the European Union.