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Government Building

The Greek parliament has ratified a contentious work legislation that permits extended-length working days, despite widespread resistance and nationwide protests.

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

Main Elements of the New Work Legislation

According to the freshly approved legislation, annual overtime is limited at 150 hours, while the regular forty-hour week remains in place.

The government insists that the extended workday is voluntary, only affects the private sector, and can only be used for up to 37 days annually.

Political Support and Resistance

Thursday's ballot was backed by MPs from the governing centre-right political group, with the moderate faction – currently the primary resistance – voting against the bill, while the left-wing party abstained.

Labor unions have organized multiple protests calling for the law's repeal this month that halted transportation and public services to a stop.

Government Defense and Employee Protections

A senior official supported the legislation, saying the reforms align national laws with current employment conditions, and accused critics of misinforming the public.

These regulations will provide workers the choice to take on additional hours with the current company for 40% higher pay, while guaranteeing they will not be dismissed for declining overtime.

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

Critical Viewpoints and Union Responses

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

A major labor organization said variable shifts in practice mean "the end of the eight-hour day, the disruption of family and social life and the authorization of over-exploitation."

Recent Workplace Changes and Financial Background

Last year, the country introduced a six-day working week for specific sectors in a bid to stimulate the economy.

New legislation, which started at the start of the summer, permit workers to work up to 48 hours in a week as opposed to forty.

EU Work Statistics and National Financial Metrics

• Throughout the EU in 2024, the longest average hours were recorded in the Hellenic Republic, then Bulgaria, Poland and Romania (38.8).
• The shortest work hours in the bloc is in the Netherlands, as per EU statistics.
• Starting this year, Greece's national base pay stood at nine hundred sixty-eight euros a month, ranking it in the bottom group among European nations.
• Joblessness, which had peaked at 28% during the financial crisis, was eight point one percent in August versus an European mean of 5.9%, data from the statistical office show.
• Greece is recovering since its decade-long financial troubles, which concluded in 2018, but salaries and quality of life continue to be among the lowest in the European Union.