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Greece's parliament has given the green light a disputed labor reform that authorizes 13-hour working days, in the face of strong resistance and countrywide strike actions.

Government officials stated the law will revamp Greek labor regulations, but critics from the progressive faction labeled it as a "regulatory disaster."

Main Provisions of the New Work Legislation

According to the newly enacted law, yearly extra hours is capped at one hundred and fifty hours, while the regular forty-hour week stays unchanged.

The government maintains that the longer workday is elective, solely affects the private sector, and can exclusively be applied for up to thirty-seven days each year.

Political Backing and Opposition

The recent ballot was supported by MPs from the ruling conservative political group, with the moderate party – now the primary opposition – rejecting the legislation, while the progressive group abstained.

Worker organizations have staged multiple protests calling for the bill's withdrawal this month that brought transportation and services to a stop.

Government Justification and Employee Safeguards

A senior official defended the legislation, saying the changes bring in line national legislation with modern employment realities, and accused opposition leaders of misinforming the citizens.

These regulations will provide workers the choice to take on extra work with the same employer for increased compensation, while ensuring they will not be dismissed for declining overtime.

The measure follows EU working-time regulations, which cap the average week to forty-eight hours including extra hours but allow flexibility over a year, according to the government.

Critical Viewpoints and Union Reactions

However, opposition parties have charged the government of eroding employee protections and "driving the country back to a labor middle age." They say Greek employees already put in more time than the majority of EU citizens while receiving lower pay and still "struggle to make ends meet."

The public-sector union said variable shifts in reality mean "the end of the eight-hour day, the disruption of personal time and the legalisation of over-exploitation."

Recent Workplace Changes and Financial Background

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

New laws, which came into effect at the beginning of July, permit workers to labor up to 48 hours in a week as opposed to 40.

European Work Data and National Economic Indicators

• Throughout the European Union in 2024, the highest working weeks were recorded in Greece (39.8 hours), followed by Bulgaria, Poland and Romania (38.8).
• The shortest work hours in the union is in the Netherlands (32.1), according to EU statistics.
• As of this year, Greece's national minimum wage was €968 a month, placing it in the bottom group among European nations.
• Joblessness, which had peaked at 28% during the financial crisis, was eight point one percent in the summer compared with an European mean of five point nine percent, data from the statistical office show.
• The country is recovering since its prolonged debt crisis, which ended in 2018, but salaries and living standards continue to be among the lowest in the EU.