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Government Building

Greece's parliament has ratified a hotly debated labor reform that permits extended-length working days, in the face of widespread resistance and countrywide strike actions.

The administration asserted the measure will modernize Greek labor regulations, but critics from the left-wing faction described it as a "legislative monstrosity."

Key Provisions of the Recently Passed Work Legislation

According to the newly enacted law, yearly overtime is limited at one hundred and fifty hours, while the regular forty-hour workweek stays unchanged.

The government emphasizes that the longer shift is voluntary, only applies to the private sector, and can only be applied for up to 37 days annually.

Parliamentary Backing and Resistance

The recent ballot was supported by lawmakers from the ruling conservative party, with the centre-left faction – currently the primary opposition – rejecting the legislation, while the left-wing group abstained.

Labor unions have organized multiple protests calling for the bill's withdrawal this month that brought transportation and public services to a stop.

Official Justification and Worker Protections

A senior official supported the legislation, stating the changes align national legislation with modern labor-market realities, and accused critics of misleading the public.

The laws will provide workers the option to accept extra work with the current company for 40% higher compensation, while guaranteeing they will not be fired for declining overtime.

This complies with European Union working-time regulations, which cap the average workweek to 48 hours counting overtime but allow flexibility over 12 months, as stated by the government.

Critical Viewpoints and Union Responses

But, critics have charged the government of eroding workers' rights and "pushing the nation back to a medieval work era." They argue Greek workers already work longer hours 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 eight-hour day, the destruction of personal time and the authorization of over-exploitation."

Previous Workplace Changes and Economic Context

In 2024, the country enacted a six-day working week for specific sectors in a bid to stimulate economic growth.

Recent laws, which started at the start of the summer, allow employees to work up to 48 hours in a workweek as opposed to 40.

European Labor Data and Greek Economic Indicators

• Throughout the EU in 2024, the longest working weeks were observed in Greece (39.8 hours), then Bulgaria, Poland (38.9) and Romania.
• The shortest working week in the union is in the Netherlands, as per EU statistics.
• Starting this year, the nation's official minimum wage was nine hundred sixty-eight euros a month, placing it in the bottom group among European nations.
• Joblessness, which had peaked at twenty-eight percent during the economic downturn, was 8.1% in August compared with an EU average of 5.9%, figures from the statistical office show.
• The country is recovering since its prolonged financial troubles, which ended in recent years, but salaries and living standards remain among the poorest in the European Union.