🔗 Share this article

Government Building

The Greek legislature has ratified a hotly debated work legislation that authorizes extended-length working days, in the face of widespread opposition and nationwide strike actions.

The administration asserted the law will revamp the country's labor regulations, but critics from the progressive party described it as a "regulatory disaster."

Main Provisions of the Recently Passed Work Legislation

According to the freshly approved legislation, yearly overtime is also at 150 hours, while the regular 40-hour workweek continues as before.

The government maintains that the extended workday is optional, only affects the private sector, and can only be used for up to thirty-seven days each year.

Parliamentary Support and Resistance

Thursday's vote was supported by MPs from the governing conservative political group, with the moderate party – currently the primary opposition – voting against the bill, while the left-wing party abstained.

Worker organizations have staged two general strikes calling for the law's repeal this month that brought public transport and services to a standstill.

Official Justification and Worker Safeguards

The Labor Minister supported the legislation, claiming the reforms bring in line Greek legislation with modern employment realities, and alleged opposition leaders of misinforming the public.

The laws will provide workers the choice to take on extra work with the current company for increased pay, while guaranteeing they cannot be fired for refusing extra hours.

The measure complies with EU labor regulations, which cap the average workweek to 48 hours including extra hours but permit adjustments over a year, as stated by the government.

Opposition Perspectives and Union Reactions

But, critics have charged the administration of eroding workers' rights and "pushing the nation back to a medieval work era." They argue Greek workers currently work longer hours than the majority of Europeans while receiving lower pay and still "struggle to make ends meet."

A major labor organization 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 excessive labor."

Recent Labor Reforms and Financial Background

Last year, Greece enacted a six-day working week for certain industries in a bid to boost economic growth.

Recent legislation, which started at the beginning of July, permit workers to labor up to 48 hours in a week as instead of 40.

EU Work Data and Greek Financial Metrics

• Throughout the European Union in 2024, the longest working weeks were recorded in Greece (39.8 hours), then Bulgaria (39.0), Poland (38.9) and Romania.
• The lowest work hours in the union is in the Netherlands, as per Eurostat.
• Starting this year, the nation's national base pay was nine hundred sixty-eight euros a month, placing it in the lower tier among European nations.
• Unemployment, which had peaked at twenty-eight percent during the economic downturn, was eight point one percent in the summer versus an EU average of 5.9%, data from the statistical office indicate.
• The country is recovering since its prolonged debt crisis, which ended in 2018, but salaries and living standards continue to be among the poorest in the European Union.