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Government Building

The Greek legislature has given the green light a hotly debated labor reform that enables extended-length work shifts, in the face of fierce resistance and nationwide protests.

The administration claimed the measure will update Greek labor regulations, but opposition figures from the left-wing faction labeled it as a "regulatory disaster."

Key Elements of the New Labor Law

According to the freshly approved law, yearly extra hours is capped at 150 hours, while the standard forty-hour workweek continues as before.

Officials emphasizes that the extended shift is voluntary, only applies to the private sector, and can only be implemented for up to 37 days annually.

Parliamentary Backing and Resistance

Thursday's vote was backed by lawmakers from the governing conservative political group, with the moderate faction – currently the main resistance – rejecting the bill, while the progressive party did not vote.

Labor unions have organized two general strikes demanding the law's repeal this month that halted public transport and services to a stop.

Official Justification and Worker Safeguards

The Labor Minister defended the bill, claiming the reforms align Greek legislation with current employment conditions, and accused opposition leaders of misinforming the citizens.

These regulations will provide workers the option to take on extra work with the same employer for 40% higher compensation, while guaranteeing they will not be dismissed for refusing overtime.

The measure complies with EU labor regulations, which cap the mean workweek to 48 hours counting overtime but allow flexibility over 12 months, as stated by the government.

Opposition Viewpoints and Union Responses

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

The public-sector union stated variable shifts in reality mean "the end of the standard workday, the destruction of family and social life and the authorization of excessive labor."

Previous Workplace Reforms and Financial Background

Last year, Greece introduced a six-day working week for certain sectors in a attempt to stimulate economic growth.

New laws, which came into effect at the start of July, permit workers to work up to 48 hours in a week as instead of forty.

EU Work Data and National Financial Indicators

• Throughout the European Union in 2024, the longest working weeks were recorded in the Hellenic Republic, followed by Bulgaria (39.0), Poland and Romania (38.8).
• The lowest work hours in the union is in the Netherlands (32.1), according to EU statistics.
• As of January 2025, Greece's national minimum wage stood at nine hundred sixty-eight euros a month, placing it in the bottom group among EU countries.
• Unemployment, which had peaked at 28% during the economic downturn, was 8.1% in August compared with an EU average of 5.9%, data from the statistical office show.
• The country is improving since its decade-long debt crisis, which ended in recent years, but salaries and quality of life continue to be among the poorest in the EU.