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Government Building

Greece's parliament has ratified a hotly debated labor reform that authorizes 13-hour work shifts, in the face of widespread opposition and countrywide protests.

Government officials claimed the law will modernize Greek labor regulations, but critics from the progressive faction described it as a "harmful law."

Main Provisions of the Recently Passed Labor Law

According to the newly enacted legislation, yearly overtime is limited at one hundred and fifty hours, while the standard 40-hour workweek stays unchanged.

The government emphasizes that the longer shift is optional, solely affects the private sector, and can only be implemented for up to 37 days annually.

Parliamentary Backing and Opposition

Thursday's vote was backed by MPs from the governing conservative party, with the centre-left party – now the primary opposition – rejecting the bill, while the progressive party abstained.

Labor unions have staged multiple protests calling for the law's repeal this month that brought public transport and services to a standstill.

Official Defense and Worker Safeguards

A senior official supported the bill, stating the reforms bring in line Greek laws with modern labor-market realities, and accused critics of misleading the public.

These regulations will give workers the option to accept additional hours with the current company for increased compensation, while ensuring they cannot be dismissed for declining extra hours.

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

Critical Viewpoints and Labor Reactions

However, opposition parties have charged the administration of weakening workers' rights and "pushing the country back to a medieval work era." They argue Greek workers currently put in more time than most Europeans while receiving lower pay and still "face financial difficulties."

A major labor organization stated variable shifts in reality mean "the end of the standard workday, the disruption of family and social life and the legalisation of over-exploitation."

Previous Labor Changes and Financial Background

Last year, the country enacted a six-day working week for specific industries in a attempt to stimulate the economy.

Recent legislation, which came into effect at the start of the summer, allow employees to work up to forty-eight hours in a week as instead of 40.

EU Labor Data and Greek Economic Indicators

• Across the European Union in the previous year, the highest working weeks were recorded in the Hellenic Republic, then Bulgaria, Poland (38.9) and Romania (38.8).
• The lowest work hours in the bloc is in the Netherlands (32.1), as per Eurostat.
• Starting January 2025, Greece's official base pay was €968 a month, ranking it in the bottom group among European nations.
• Joblessness, which had reached a high at 28% during the economic downturn, was 8.1% in the summer compared with an EU average of five point nine percent, data from the statistical office show.
• The country is recovering since its prolonged financial troubles, which ended in recent years, but wages and quality of life remain among the lowest in the European Union.