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Government Building

Greece's parliament has ratified a disputed labor reform that authorizes extended-length work shifts, despite fierce resistance and countrywide strike actions.

The administration stated the measure will revamp Greek work laws, but opposition figures from the progressive faction labeled it as a "harmful law."

Key Provisions of the Recently Passed Labor Law

Under the newly enacted law, annual overtime is limited at 150 hours, while the regular 40-hour workweek remains in place.

Officials maintains that the longer workday is elective, solely applies to the business sector, and can only be implemented for up to thirty-seven days annually.

Parliamentary Backing and Opposition

The recent ballot was backed by lawmakers from the governing centre-right party, with the centre-left party – currently the main opposition – voting against the bill, while the progressive party did not vote.

Labor unions have organized two general strikes calling for the bill's withdrawal recently that brought public transport and public services to a stop.

Government Justification and Worker Protections

A senior official supported the legislation, claiming the changes bring in line Greek laws with modern labor-market conditions, and accused critics of misinforming the public.

The laws will give employees the choice to take on additional hours with the current company for increased compensation, while guaranteeing they will not be dismissed for declining overtime.

This complies with EU labor regulations, which cap the mean workweek to 48 hours including overtime but allow flexibility over 12 months, as stated by the administration.

Critical Viewpoints and Union Reactions

But, critics have charged the administration of eroding workers' rights and "driving the nation back to a medieval work era." They argue local employees currently work longer hours than the majority of Europeans while receiving lower pay and still "face financial difficulties."

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

Previous Labor Reforms and Economic Background

In 2024, the country introduced a six-day working week for specific industries in a attempt to stimulate economic growth.

Recent laws, which came into effect at the beginning of the summer, allow workers to labor up to 48 hours in a week as instead of 40.

EU Work Data and Greek Financial Metrics

• Across the EU in 2024, the longest working weeks were observed in the Hellenic Republic, followed by Bulgaria, Poland and Romania (38.8).
• The lowest work hours in the bloc is in the Netherlands, according to EU statistics.
• Starting this year, the nation's national base pay was nine hundred sixty-eight euros a month, placing it in the bottom group among European nations.
• Joblessness, which had reached a high at 28% during the financial crisis, was 8.1% in the summer versus an EU average of 5.9%, figures from Eurostat indicate.
• The country is improving since its prolonged debt crisis, which concluded in recent years, but salaries and living standards remain among the lowest in the European Union.