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Government Building

The Greek legislature has ratified a hotly debated labor reform that permits 13-hour work shifts, despite fierce opposition and countrywide strike actions.

The administration asserted the measure will revamp the country's work laws, but opposition figures from the progressive faction labeled it as a "legislative monstrosity."

Key Provisions of the Recently Passed Labor Law

Under the newly enacted law, yearly overtime is also at one hundred and fifty hours, while the regular 40-hour week remains in place.

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

Parliamentary Backing and Opposition

The recent vote was supported by MPs from the governing conservative political group, with the centre-left party – now the main opposition – voting against the bill, while the progressive group abstained.

Labor unions have staged two general strikes calling for the bill's withdrawal this month that halted public transport and public services to a standstill.

Official Defense and Worker Safeguards

The Labor Minister defended the bill, saying the changes bring in line national legislation with modern employment realities, and accused critics of misinforming the citizens.

The laws will provide employees the choice to take on extra work with the current company for 40% higher pay, while ensuring they cannot be dismissed for refusing extra hours.

This follows European Union labor regulations, which cap the average week to forty-eight hours including overtime but permit adjustments over a year, as stated by the administration.

Opposition Perspectives and Labor Reactions

However, opposition parties have charged the government of weakening workers' rights and "pushing the country back to a medieval work era." They say Greek workers already work longer hours than most Europeans while earning less and still "face financial difficulties."

The public-sector union stated variable shifts in practice mean "the end of the eight-hour day, the destruction of personal time and the authorization of excessive labor."

Previous Workplace Changes and Financial Background

Last year, Greece enacted a six-day work schedule for certain sectors in a bid to boost the economy.

Recent laws, which came into effect at the beginning of July, permit workers to labor up to 48 hours in a week as instead of 40.

European Labor Data and Greek Economic Metrics

• Throughout the European Union in the previous year, the highest average hours were recorded in Greece (39.8 hours), followed by Bulgaria (39.0), Poland (38.9) and Romania.
• The shortest work hours in the bloc is in the Netherlands, according to Eurostat.
• As of January 2025, the nation's national base pay stood at €968 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 the summer versus an EU average of 5.9%, data from Eurostat show.
• The country is improving since its decade-long financial troubles, which ended in 2018, but salaries and living standards continue to be among the lowest in the European Union.