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Government Building

Greece's parliament has approved a disputed work legislation that permits extended-length work shifts, in the face of strong opposition and nationwide strike actions.

The administration claimed the measure will revamp the country's labor regulations, but critics from the progressive party described it as a "legislative monstrosity."

Key Elements of the Recently Passed Labor Law

Under the newly enacted legislation, yearly overtime is limited at one hundred and fifty hours, while the regular forty-hour workweek stays unchanged.

Officials emphasizes that the extended shift is optional, only affects the private sector, and can exclusively be implemented for up to thirty-seven days each year.

Political Backing and Resistance

The recent ballot was backed by MPs from the governing conservative political group, with the moderate party – now the main resistance – rejecting the bill, while the progressive group did not vote.

Labor unions have organized two general strikes calling for the law's repeal this month that halted transportation and services to a standstill.

Government Defense and Worker Safeguards

The Labor Minister defended the bill, claiming the reforms bring in line Greek legislation with modern employment conditions, and alleged critics of misleading the public.

These regulations will give workers the choice to accept additional hours with the current company for increased pay, while guaranteeing they cannot be fired for refusing extra hours.

This follows European Union working-time rules, which limit the average week to 48 hours counting overtime but allow adjustments over 12 months, as stated by the government.

Opposition Viewpoints and Union Responses

However, critics have charged the administration of eroding employee protections and "driving the country back to a labor middle age." They say Greek employees currently work longer hours than the majority of Europeans while receiving lower pay and still "face financial difficulties."

A major labor organization said variable shifts in reality mean "the end of the eight-hour day, the destruction of family and social life and the authorization of over-exploitation."

Previous Workplace Reforms and Financial Background

In 2024, the country enacted a six-day working week for certain sectors in a bid to boost economic growth.

New laws, which came into effect at the start of the summer, allow employees to work up to forty-eight hours in a week as instead of 40.

European Work Data and National Economic Metrics

• Throughout the EU in 2024, the longest working weeks were observed in the Hellenic Republic, then Bulgaria, Poland (38.9) and Romania (38.8).
• The lowest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands, as per EU statistics.
• As of January 2025, Greece's official minimum wage stood at nine hundred sixty-eight euros a month, placing it in the bottom group among EU countries.
• Joblessness, which had peaked at 28% during the financial crisis, was 8.1% in the summer compared with an European mean of 5.9%, data from Eurostat indicate.
• The country is improving since its decade-long financial troubles, which concluded in 2018, but salaries and living standards remain among the lowest in the European Union.