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Greece's legislature has given the green light a contentious labor reform that authorizes extended-length working days, despite strong resistance and countrywide protests.

Government officials stated the measure will update the country's labor regulations, but critics from the progressive party described it as a "regulatory disaster."

Main Provisions of the Recently Passed Work Legislation

According to the newly enacted law, yearly overtime is limited at one hundred and fifty hours, while the standard 40-hour week stays unchanged.

The government emphasizes that the longer workday is elective, only affects the private sector, and can only be used for up to thirty-seven days annually.

Political Support and Opposition

The recent ballot was supported by lawmakers from the governing conservative party, with the centre-left party – currently the main opposition – voting against the bill, while the left-wing group abstained.

Worker organizations have staged two general strikes demanding the law's repeal this month that brought transportation and public services to a standstill.

Government Defense and Worker Safeguards

The Labor Minister defended the legislation, stating the reforms bring in line national legislation with current labor-market conditions, and alleged critics of misinforming the citizens.

The laws will give workers the choice to accept additional hours with the same employer for 40% higher pay, while guaranteeing they will not be dismissed for declining extra hours.

This follows EU labor regulations, which cap the average week to 48 hours counting extra hours but permit flexibility over 12 months, according to the government.

Opposition Viewpoints and Labor Responses

But, critics have accused the administration of weakening workers' rights and "pushing the nation back to a medieval work era." They say local workers already work longer hours than the majority of EU citizens while earning less and still "face financial difficulties."

A major labor organization stated variable shifts in practice mean "the abolition of the eight-hour day, the destruction of personal time and the legalisation of excessive labor."

Recent Workplace Changes and Financial Context

Last year, the country enacted a six-day work schedule for certain industries in a bid to boost the economy.

New laws, which came into effect at the beginning of July, permit employees to work up to 48 hours in a workweek as opposed to forty.

EU Labor Data and Greek Economic Metrics

• Throughout the European Union in 2024, the highest average hours were recorded in the Hellenic Republic, followed by Bulgaria (39.0), Poland (38.9) and Romania.
• The lowest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands (32.1), according to EU statistics.
• As of January 2025, the nation's official base pay was €968 a month, placing it in the lower tier among European nations.
• Unemployment, which had reached a high at twenty-eight percent during the economic downturn, was 8.1% in the summer compared with an European mean of 5.9%, data from the statistical office indicate.
• The country is recovering since its prolonged debt crisis, which ended in 2018, but salaries and living standards remain among the lowest in the EU.