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Government Building

Greece's parliament has ratified a disputed work legislation that authorizes extended-length working days, in the face of widespread resistance and countrywide protests.

The administration asserted the measure will modernize Greek labor regulations, but opposition figures from the left-wing faction described it as a "regulatory disaster."

Main Elements of the Recently Passed Labor Law

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

Officials maintains that the longer workday is voluntary, solely 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 backed by MPs from the governing conservative political group, with the moderate party – now the main resistance – voting against the bill, while the progressive group did not vote.

Labor unions have organized two general strikes demanding the law's repeal recently that halted transportation and public services to a standstill.

Official Justification and Worker Safeguards

A senior official defended the bill, saying the reforms bring in line national legislation with modern labor-market conditions, and accused critics of misinforming the citizens.

These regulations will give employees the option to take on additional hours with the same employer for 40% higher compensation, while guaranteeing they cannot be fired for refusing overtime.

The measure complies with European Union labor rules, which cap the average workweek to 48 hours including overtime but allow flexibility over 12 months, as stated by the government.

Opposition Perspectives and Labor Reactions

But, critics have accused the government of eroding employee protections and "pushing the nation back to a labor middle age." They say local employees already work longer hours than most Europeans while earning less and still "face financial difficulties."

A major labor organization stated variable shifts in reality mean "the abolition of the standard workday, the destruction of personal time and the legalisation of excessive labor."

Recent Workplace Changes and Financial Background

In 2024, Greece enacted a six-day work schedule for specific industries in a attempt to boost economic growth.

Recent legislation, which started at the beginning of the summer, permit workers to labor up to forty-eight hours in a workweek as opposed to 40.

European Labor Statistics and National Financial Indicators

• Throughout the European Union in 2024, the highest average hours were recorded in Greece (39.8 hours), then Bulgaria, Poland and Romania.
• The shortest work hours in the union is in the Netherlands, as per EU statistics.
• As of January 2025, Greece's national minimum wage stood at €968 a month, ranking it in the bottom group among EU countries.
• Joblessness, which had peaked at twenty-eight percent during the economic downturn, was eight point one percent in the summer compared with an EU average of 5.9%, data from Eurostat show.
• The country is improving since its prolonged debt crisis, which ended in 2018, but salaries and quality of life continue to be among the poorest in the European Union.