The Greek Parliament Approves Debated Labor Law Authorizing Longer Workdays in Certain Situations

Government Building

The Greek legislature has approved a contentious work legislation that authorizes extended-length working days, despite fierce opposition and nationwide protests.

Government officials claimed the law will modernize Greek work laws, but opposition figures from the left-wing faction described it as a "legislative monstrosity."

Main Elements of the New Labor Law

According to the freshly approved legislation, yearly overtime is also at one hundred and fifty hours, while the regular forty-hour week stays unchanged.

Officials insists that the longer shift is elective, only affects the private sector, and can exclusively be applied for up to 37 days each year.

Political Support and Opposition

Thursday's ballot was supported by lawmakers from the governing centre-right party, with the moderate party – currently the main opposition – voting against the legislation, while the left-wing party did not vote.

Labor unions have organized multiple protests demanding the bill's withdrawal this month that halted public transport and services to a standstill.

Official Defense and Employee Safeguards

A senior official defended the bill, claiming the reforms align national legislation with modern labor-market conditions, and alleged opposition leaders of misleading the citizens.

The laws will provide employees the option to accept extra work with the same employer for increased pay, while ensuring they cannot be dismissed for declining overtime.

The measure follows European Union labor regulations, which limit the mean week to forty-eight hours including extra hours but permit adjustments over a year, as stated by the administration.

Opposition Perspectives and Labor Responses

But, opposition parties have charged the government of weakening workers' rights and "driving the nation back to a medieval work era." They argue Greek employees already work longer hours than the majority of Europeans while earning less and still "face financial difficulties."

The public-sector union said flexible working hours in reality mean "the end of the eight-hour day, the destruction of family and social life and the authorization of over-exploitation."

Recent Workplace Reforms and Economic Background

In 2024, Greece introduced a six-day working week for specific industries in a attempt to stimulate the economy.

New laws, which started at the start of the summer, allow workers to work up to 48 hours in a week as instead of 40.

European Work Statistics and Greek Economic Metrics

• Across the European Union in the previous year, the longest average hours were recorded in the Hellenic Republic, then Bulgaria (39.0), Poland and Romania.
• The shortest work hours in the bloc is in the Netherlands, as per EU statistics.
• As of this year, the nation's official base pay was €968 a month, placing it in the bottom group among EU countries.
• Unemployment, which had reached a high at twenty-eight percent during the economic downturn, was 8.1% in August 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 recent years, but salaries and quality of life remain among the lowest in the EU.