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Government Building

The Greek parliament has approved a hotly debated work legislation that authorizes 13-hour work shifts, despite widespread opposition and nationwide protests.

Government officials asserted the law will modernize the country's labor regulations, but opposition figures from the progressive party described it as a "legislative monstrosity."

Main Elements of the New Labor Law

Under the freshly approved legislation, annual extra hours is limited at 150 hours, while the standard 40-hour workweek continues as before.

The government maintains that the longer shift is voluntary, solely applies to the private sector, and can exclusively be applied for up to 37 days each year.

Political Support and Resistance

Thursday's vote was backed by MPs from the governing conservative political group, with the moderate party – now the main opposition – rejecting the legislation, while the left-wing group abstained.

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

Government Defense and Worker Protections

A senior official defended the legislation, saying the changes align Greek laws with modern employment conditions, and accused critics of misinforming the citizens.

These regulations will give employees the option to accept additional hours with the current company for 40% higher compensation, while guaranteeing they cannot be fired for refusing overtime.

The measure complies with European Union working-time regulations, which cap the mean workweek to forty-eight hours counting extra hours but permit flexibility over a year, according to the administration.

Critical Viewpoints and Labor Reactions

But, opposition parties have accused the administration of weakening workers' rights and "driving the nation back to a labor middle age." They argue Greek workers currently put in more time than most EU citizens while earning less and still "struggle to make ends meet."

A major labor organization said variable shifts in reality mean "the abolition of the eight-hour day, the destruction of family and social life and the legalisation of excessive labor."

Previous Workplace Changes and Economic Background

In 2024, the country introduced a six-day work schedule for certain industries in a attempt to boost economic growth.

Recent legislation, which started at the start of July, permit workers to labor up to 48 hours in a workweek as opposed to 40.

European Labor Data and Greek Financial Metrics

• Throughout the European Union in the previous year, the highest average hours were recorded in the Hellenic Republic, followed by Bulgaria (39.0), Poland (38.9) and Romania (38.8).
• The lowest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands, as per EU statistics.
• Starting this year, the nation's official minimum wage was €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 eight point one percent in the summer versus an European mean of 5.9%, data from Eurostat indicate.
• Greece is improving since its decade-long debt crisis, which concluded in recent years, but salaries and quality of life remain among the poorest in the EU.