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Government Building

The Greek legislature has approved a disputed work legislation that authorizes extended-length work shifts, despite widespread resistance and nationwide protests.

The administration asserted the measure will revamp the country's work laws, but opposition figures from the progressive party labeled it as a "regulatory disaster."

Main Provisions of the New Work Legislation

Under the freshly approved legislation, yearly overtime is also at 150 hours, while the regular forty-hour week remains in place.

The government insists that the longer workday is optional, solely applies to the business sector, and can only be used for up to 37 days each year.

Political Support and Opposition

Thursday's ballot was supported by lawmakers from the ruling conservative political group, with the moderate party – currently the main resistance – rejecting the legislation, while the left-wing group did not vote.

Labor unions have organized multiple protests demanding the law's repeal this month that halted transportation and public services to a stop.

Government Justification and Worker Protections

A senior official supported the legislation, saying the changes align national laws with current employment realities, and alleged opposition leaders of misinforming the citizens.

These regulations will give employees the option to accept extra work with the same employer for 40% higher compensation, while guaranteeing they will not be fired for declining overtime.

The measure follows EU labor regulations, which limit the average workweek to forty-eight hours including extra hours but allow flexibility over 12 months, as stated by the government.

Critical Perspectives and Union Responses

However, opposition parties have charged the administration of weakening employee protections and "pushing the nation back to a medieval work era." They argue local workers currently put in more time than the majority of EU citizens while earning less and still "struggle to make ends meet."

A major labor organization stated flexible working hours in practice mean "the end of the eight-hour day, the destruction of personal time and the authorization of over-exploitation."

Previous Workplace Changes and Economic Context

In 2024, the country introduced a six-day work schedule for certain industries in a attempt to boost economic growth.

Recent laws, which started at the beginning of the summer, allow employees to labor up to 48 hours in a week as instead of forty.

European Labor Data and Greek Economic Indicators

• Across the EU in the previous year, the highest average hours were recorded in Greece (39.8 hours), then Bulgaria, Poland and Romania.
• The lowest work hours in the bloc is in the Netherlands, according to Eurostat.
• Starting January 2025, the nation's official base pay stood at nine hundred sixty-eight euros a month, ranking it in the lower tier among European nations.
• Joblessness, which had peaked at 28% during the economic downturn, was eight point one percent in August compared with an EU average of 5.9%, figures from Eurostat indicate.
• The country is recovering since its decade-long debt crisis, which concluded in recent years, but wages and quality of life remain among the poorest in the EU.