🔗 Share this article The Greek Parliament Enacts Disputed Labor Law Permitting 13-Hour Workdays in Specific Circumstances Government Building The Greek legislature has approved a hotly debated labor reform that permits extended-length working days, despite widespread opposition and countrywide protests. Government officials stated the measure will revamp Greek work laws, but opposition figures from the progressive faction described it as a "harmful law." Main Provisions of the New Work Legislation Under the freshly approved law, yearly overtime is capped at one hundred and fifty hours, while the standard forty-hour week remains in place. Officials maintains that the extended shift is elective, only applies to the business sector, and can only be implemented for up to 37 days annually. Political Backing and Resistance The recent ballot was supported by MPs from the governing centre-right political group, with the centre-left party – currently the main resistance – voting against the bill, while the left-wing party abstained. Worker organizations have organized two general strikes demanding the law's repeal recently that brought transportation and public services to a stop. Government Defense and Employee Protections The Labor Minister supported the legislation, stating the changes align Greek laws with modern employment realities, and alleged critics of misleading the citizens. These regulations will provide workers the option to take on extra work with the current company for 40% higher pay, while guaranteeing they will not be dismissed for declining extra hours. The measure follows EU working-time regulations, which cap the mean workweek to forty-eight hours including overtime but permit flexibility over a year, according to the government. Opposition Perspectives and Labor Responses But, opposition parties have accused the administration of weakening employee protections and "driving the nation back to a labor middle age." They argue local employees currently put in more time than most EU citizens while receiving lower pay and still "face financial difficulties." The public-sector union stated flexible working hours in reality mean "the abolition of the eight-hour day, the destruction of family and social life and the legalisation of over-exploitation." Previous Labor Changes and Economic Background In 2024, the country enacted a six-day work schedule for certain industries in a bid to boost economic growth. Recent legislation, which came into effect at the start of the summer, allow workers to work up to 48 hours in a workweek as instead of 40. EU Labor Data and Greek Economic Metrics Throughout the EU in the previous year, the longest working weeks were observed in the Hellenic Republic, then Bulgaria, Poland and Romania. The shortest work hours in the union is in the Netherlands, as per EU statistics. As of this year, Greece's official base pay was nine hundred sixty-eight euros a month, ranking it in the bottom group among EU countries. Unemployment, which had reached a high at 28% during the financial crisis, was eight point one percent in August versus an European mean of 5.9%, data from the statistical office show. Greece is improving since its decade-long financial troubles, which concluded in recent years, but salaries and quality of life remain among the lowest in the EU.