Greece Passes Controversial Workplace Legislation Permitting Extended Working Days in Certain Cases

Government Building

Greece's parliament has approved a disputed work legislation that permits extended-length working days, in the face of fierce resistance and nationwide strike actions.

Government officials asserted the law will modernize Greek work laws, but critics from the progressive faction labeled it as a "regulatory disaster."

Key Elements of the Recently Passed Work Legislation

Under the freshly approved legislation, annual overtime is also at one hundred and fifty hours, while the standard 40-hour week remains in place.

Officials insists that the longer shift is voluntary, solely applies to the business sector, and can only be used for up to thirty-seven days each year.

Political Backing and Opposition

Thursday's vote was supported by MPs from the ruling conservative party, with the centre-left faction – currently the main opposition – voting against the legislation, while the progressive party abstained.

Labor unions have organized two general strikes calling for the law's repeal recently that brought public transport and services to a standstill.

Official Defense and Worker Safeguards

The Labor Minister supported the bill, stating the reforms align Greek legislation with current employment conditions, and alleged opposition leaders of misleading the citizens.

The laws will provide workers the choice to take on extra work with the same employer for 40% higher pay, while guaranteeing they will not be dismissed for declining extra hours.

The measure complies with EU working-time rules, which limit the average week to forty-eight hours including overtime but allow flexibility over a year, according to the government.

Opposition Perspectives and Labor Reactions

But, critics have charged the government of eroding employee protections and "pushing the country back to a labor middle age." They argue local workers currently put in more time than the majority of EU citizens while receiving lower pay and still "face financial difficulties."

A major labor organization stated flexible working hours in reality mean "the end of the eight-hour day, the destruction of family and social life and the legalisation of excessive labor."

Previous Labor Changes and Financial Context

In 2024, Greece introduced a six-day work schedule for specific sectors in a bid to stimulate the economy.

Recent laws, which came into effect at the beginning of the summer, permit workers to work up to forty-eight hours in a week as instead of 40.

European Labor Statistics and National Economic Indicators

• Throughout the European Union in 2024, the longest working weeks were recorded in Greece (39.8 hours), followed by Bulgaria (39.0), Poland (38.9) and Romania (38.8).
• The shortest working week in the union is in the Netherlands (32.1), as per Eurostat.
• As of this year, the nation's national minimum wage stood at €968 a month, ranking it in the bottom group among EU countries.
• Unemployment, which had reached a high at 28% during the financial crisis, was 8.1% in the summer compared with an European mean of 5.9%, figures from Eurostat indicate.
• Greece is improving since its decade-long financial troubles, which concluded in recent years, but salaries and quality of life continue to be among the lowest in the EU.