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Government Building

The Greek legislature has given the green light a disputed labor reform that permits extended-length working days, in the face of widespread resistance and nationwide protests.

The administration asserted the law will update Greek labor regulations, but critics from the progressive party described it as a "harmful law."

Key Provisions of the New Work Legislation

According to the newly enacted legislation, yearly overtime is also at 150 hours, while the regular forty-hour week stays unchanged.

The government maintains that the extended shift is optional, only affects the private sector, and can only be implemented for up to 37 days each year.

Political Backing and Opposition

The recent vote was supported by lawmakers from the ruling conservative political group, with the moderate faction – now the main opposition – rejecting the bill, while the progressive group did not vote.

Worker organizations have staged multiple protests calling for the law's repeal this month that halted public transport and services to a stop.

Official Defense and Worker Safeguards

The Labor Minister supported the bill, claiming the changes align national legislation with current employment realities, and alleged opposition leaders of misinforming the public.

The laws will provide workers the option to take on additional hours with the current company for 40% higher pay, while guaranteeing they cannot be fired for declining overtime.

The measure follows European Union working-time rules, which limit the mean week to 48 hours including overtime but permit flexibility over a year, according to the administration.

Opposition Viewpoints and Union Responses

However, opposition parties have accused the government of weakening employee protections and "driving the country back to a medieval work era." They argue Greek employees already work longer hours than most Europeans while earning less and still "face financial difficulties."

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

Recent Workplace Reforms and Financial Background

In 2024, Greece enacted a six-day work schedule for certain sectors in a attempt to stimulate the economy.

New legislation, which came into effect at the start of July, allow workers to work up to forty-eight hours in a week as opposed to forty.

European Work Data and National Economic Metrics

• Throughout the European Union in the previous year, the highest working weeks were observed in the Hellenic Republic, followed by Bulgaria (39.0), Poland (38.9) and Romania (38.8).
• The shortest working week in the union is in the Netherlands, according to Eurostat.
• As of January 2025, the nation's official base pay stood at €968 a month, placing it in the bottom group among EU countries.
• Unemployment, which had reached a high at 28% during the economic downturn, was eight point one percent in August compared with an EU average of 5.9%, figures from Eurostat indicate.
• The country is recovering since its prolonged financial troubles, which ended in 2018, but salaries and living standards remain among the poorest in the European Union.