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Government Building

The Greek legislature has ratified a disputed labor reform that authorizes extended-length working days, in the face of fierce opposition and nationwide protests.

The administration claimed the law will revamp Greek work laws, but opposition figures from the progressive faction labeled it as a "regulatory disaster."

Main Elements of the Recently Passed Work Legislation

Under the newly enacted legislation, yearly overtime is also at one hundred and fifty hours, while the standard 40-hour week remains in place.

The government insists that the extended workday is voluntary, only affects the private sector, and can only be implemented for up to 37 days annually.

Political Support and Opposition

The recent ballot was backed by lawmakers from the governing conservative party, with the moderate faction – now the main resistance – rejecting the legislation, while the left-wing party did not vote.

Labor unions have staged multiple protests demanding the law's repeal this month that brought public transport and public services to a standstill.

Government Defense and Employee Protections

The Labor Minister supported the legislation, claiming the changes align Greek laws with modern employment realities, and accused critics of misinforming the public.

The laws will provide employees the option to take on extra work with the current company for 40% higher pay, while ensuring they cannot be dismissed for declining overtime.

This complies with EU labor regulations, which limit the average week to 48 hours counting overtime but allow adjustments over 12 months, according to the administration.

Critical Viewpoints and Labor Responses

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

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

Recent Workplace Reforms and Financial Context

In 2024, Greece enacted a six-day working week for specific sectors in a bid to boost economic growth.

New legislation, which came into effect at the beginning of the summer, allow workers to work up to 48 hours in a week as instead of forty.

EU Labor Data and Greek Economic Indicators

• Throughout the EU in 2024, the longest working weeks were observed in Greece (39.8 hours), followed by Bulgaria (39.0), Poland and Romania.
• The lowest work hours in the bloc is in the Netherlands (32.1), as per Eurostat.
• As of this year, the nation's national base pay stood at €968 a month, ranking it in the lower tier among European nations.
• Unemployment, which had peaked at twenty-eight percent during the economic downturn, was 8.1% in August versus an EU average of five point nine percent, figures from Eurostat indicate.
• The country is improving since its prolonged financial troubles, which ended in 2018, but wages and living standards remain among the lowest in the EU.