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Government Building

The Greek legislature has ratified a contentious labor reform that enables extended-length working days, in the face of widespread opposition and nationwide strike actions.

The administration claimed the measure will modernize the country's work laws, but opposition figures from the progressive faction described it as a "regulatory disaster."

Main Provisions of the Recently Passed Work Legislation

According to the newly enacted law, annual extra hours is also at one hundred and fifty hours, while the standard 40-hour workweek remains in place.

The government insists that the longer shift is voluntary, only applies to the private sector, and can exclusively be implemented for up to thirty-seven days annually.

Parliamentary Backing and Opposition

The recent ballot was supported by MPs from the governing centre-right political group, with the centre-left party – now the main resistance – voting against the legislation, while the progressive party did not vote.

Worker organizations have organized multiple protests demanding the law's repeal this month that halted public transport and services to a standstill.

Government Justification and Employee Protections

A senior official supported the bill, stating the changes bring in line Greek legislation with modern employment conditions, and alleged opposition leaders of misleading the public.

These regulations will provide workers the choice to take on additional hours with the current company for increased compensation, while ensuring they cannot be fired for declining extra hours.

The measure follows EU working-time rules, which limit the mean workweek to forty-eight hours including overtime but permit adjustments over 12 months, according to the administration.

Opposition Perspectives and Union Reactions

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

A major labor organization stated variable shifts in practice mean "the abolition of the standard workday, the destruction of personal time and the authorization of over-exploitation."

Recent Labor Changes and Financial Context

In 2024, the country introduced a six-day working week for specific industries in a bid to boost the economy.

Recent laws, which came into effect at the beginning of the summer, permit workers to labor up to forty-eight hours in a week as instead of 40.

EU Work Data and Greek Financial Metrics

• Throughout the European Union in 2024, the longest working weeks were recorded in Greece (39.8 hours), followed by Bulgaria, Poland (38.9) and Romania.
• The lowest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands (32.1), as per Eurostat.
• As of this year, Greece's national minimum wage stood at €968 a month, placing it in the bottom group among European nations.
• Joblessness, which had peaked at 28% during the financial crisis, was eight point one percent in the summer compared with an EU average of 5.9%, figures from Eurostat show.
• Greece is recovering since its prolonged debt crisis, which ended in recent years, but salaries and quality of life continue to be among the lowest in the EU.