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Government Building

The Greek parliament has approved a hotly debated work legislation that permits extended-length working days, in the face of fierce resistance and countrywide protests.

The administration claimed the law will modernize the country's work laws, but critics from the progressive party labeled it as a "legislative monstrosity."

Key Elements of the New Labor Law

According to the freshly approved law, yearly extra hours is capped at 150 hours, while the standard forty-hour week remains in place.

Officials emphasizes that the longer workday is voluntary, only affects the private sector, and can exclusively be used for up to thirty-seven days annually.

Political Support and Resistance

The recent ballot was supported by MPs from the governing conservative political group, with the moderate party – currently the main resistance – rejecting the bill, while the left-wing group did not vote.

Labor unions have staged multiple protests demanding the law's repeal recently that halted public transport and public services to a standstill.

Official Defense and Worker Protections

The Labor Minister defended the legislation, claiming the changes align Greek legislation with current employment realities, and accused critics of misleading the public.

The laws will give workers the choice to take on extra work with the current company for 40% higher pay, while ensuring they cannot be dismissed for declining extra hours.

The measure complies with European Union labor regulations, which cap the average week to 48 hours including overtime but allow adjustments over a year, according to the government.

Opposition Viewpoints and Labor Responses

But, critics have charged the government of eroding workers' rights and "driving the country back to a medieval work era." They argue local employees already put in more time than most EU citizens while earning less and still "face financial difficulties."

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

Recent Workplace Changes and Financial Background

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

New laws, which came into effect at the beginning of the summer, permit employees to work up to 48 hours in a week as opposed to forty.

EU Labor Statistics and Greek Financial Metrics

• Throughout the EU in 2024, the longest working weeks were recorded in Greece (39.8 hours), followed by Bulgaria (39.0), Poland and Romania (38.8).
• The lowest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands (32.1), as per Eurostat.
• Starting January 2025, Greece's national minimum wage stood at nine hundred sixty-eight euros a month, placing it in the lower tier among EU countries.
• Unemployment, which had peaked at 28% during the economic downturn, was eight point one percent in the summer compared with an EU average of five point nine percent, figures from Eurostat indicate.
• The country is recovering since its decade-long financial troubles, which ended in 2018, but salaries and quality of life remain among the poorest in the EU.