🔗 Share this article

Government Building

Greece's legislature has given the green light a disputed work legislation that permits extended-length work shifts, despite widespread opposition and nationwide protests.

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

Key Provisions of the New Work Legislation

Under the newly enacted legislation, annual extra hours is limited at one hundred and fifty hours, while the regular 40-hour workweek stays unchanged.

Officials insists that the extended workday is elective, only applies to the business sector, and can only be used for up to 37 days each year.

Parliamentary Backing and Opposition

The recent vote was supported by MPs from the governing centre-right political group, with the centre-left party – now the primary opposition – rejecting the legislation, while the progressive group abstained.

Labor unions have organized two general strikes demanding the law's repeal this month that brought public transport and services to a stop.

Official Justification and Employee Protections

A senior official defended the legislation, saying the changes bring in line Greek laws with current employment realities, and alleged opposition leaders of misinforming the public.

These regulations will provide workers the choice to take on additional hours with the current company for 40% higher compensation, while guaranteeing they cannot be fired for refusing extra hours.

This follows European Union working-time rules, which cap the average week to 48 hours including overtime but permit flexibility over 12 months, as stated by the government.

Critical Perspectives and Labor Reactions

However, opposition parties have charged the administration of eroding employee protections and "pushing the nation back to a medieval work era." They argue Greek workers already work longer hours than most Europeans while earning less and still "face financial difficulties."

A major labor organization said flexible working hours in reality mean "the end of the eight-hour day, the disruption of family and social life and the legalisation of over-exploitation."

Previous Labor Reforms and Financial Context

Last year, the country introduced a six-day working week for certain industries in a attempt to boost economic growth.

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

EU Work Statistics and Greek Financial Metrics

• Throughout the European Union in 2024, the highest working weeks were observed in the Hellenic Republic, then Bulgaria (39.0), Poland and Romania (38.8).
• The lowest work hours in the union is in the Netherlands, as per Eurostat.
• Starting January 2025, the nation'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 reached a high at twenty-eight percent during the financial crisis, was eight point one percent in the summer compared with an European mean of 5.9%, figures from the statistical office indicate.
• Greece is recovering since its prolonged debt crisis, which concluded in 2018, but salaries and living standards remain among the lowest in the EU.