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Government Building

Greece's legislature has approved a contentious labor reform that authorizes 13-hour working days, in the face of strong opposition and countrywide protests.

The administration stated the measure will revamp Greek work laws, but opposition figures from the progressive party described it as a "legislative monstrosity."

Key Provisions of the New Labor Law

According to the newly enacted legislation, yearly extra hours is also at 150 hours, while the regular forty-hour workweek stays unchanged.

Officials emphasizes that the extended shift is elective, only applies to the business sector, and can exclusively be implemented for up to 37 days annually.

Political Support and Opposition

The recent ballot was backed by lawmakers from the ruling conservative party, with the centre-left faction – now the main opposition – rejecting the legislation, while the left-wing party did not vote.

Worker organizations have organized two general strikes calling for the law's repeal this month that halted public transport and public services to a stop.

Government Justification and Worker Protections

The Labor Minister defended the legislation, claiming the reforms bring in line national legislation with modern labor-market realities, and accused opposition leaders of misinforming the public.

The laws will give employees the choice to take on additional hours with the same employer for 40% higher pay, while guaranteeing they cannot be dismissed for declining extra hours.

The measure complies with European Union labor regulations, which limit the average workweek to 48 hours counting extra hours but allow adjustments over 12 months, as stated by the government.

Opposition Viewpoints and Union Responses

However, opposition parties have accused the government of weakening workers' rights and "pushing the nation back to a labor middle age." They argue Greek employees already put in more time than the majority of Europeans while earning less and still "face financial difficulties."

The public-sector union stated flexible working hours in reality mean "the end of the standard workday, the destruction of family and social life and the legalisation of excessive labor."

Previous Labor Changes and Economic Context

Last year, the country introduced a six-day work schedule for certain sectors in a bid to stimulate economic growth.

Recent laws, which started at the beginning of the summer, permit workers to labor up to 48 hours in a workweek as opposed to forty.

European Labor Statistics and National Financial Indicators

• Across the EU in the previous year, the longest average hours were recorded in Greece (39.8 hours), then Bulgaria (39.0), Poland (38.9) and Romania.
• The lowest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands, according to EU statistics.
• As of January 2025, Greece's official minimum wage stood at €968 a month, ranking it in the bottom group among European nations.
• Unemployment, which had peaked at 28% during the economic downturn, was eight point one percent in the summer versus an EU average of five point nine percent, data from the statistical office indicate.
• The country is recovering since its decade-long financial troubles, which ended in 2018, but salaries and living standards remain among the poorest in the EU.