Greece Passes Debated Labor Law Authorizing Extended Working Days in Specific Situations

Government Building

The Greek legislature has ratified a disputed labor reform that permits 13-hour work shifts, despite strong opposition and countrywide strike actions.

The administration stated the law will update Greek work laws, but critics from the progressive party labeled it as a "harmful law."

Main Provisions of the New Labor Law

Under the newly enacted legislation, yearly extra hours is limited at 150 hours, while the standard forty-hour workweek remains in place.

The government emphasizes that the longer workday is voluntary, only affects the business sector, and can exclusively be used for up to thirty-seven days each year.

Political Support and Resistance

Thursday's vote was backed by MPs from the governing centre-right political group, with the centre-left faction – currently the primary opposition – rejecting the bill, while the progressive party did not vote.

Labor unions have organized multiple protests demanding the bill's withdrawal recently that brought public transport and services to a stop.

Official Defense and Worker Protections

The Labor Minister defended the bill, stating the changes bring in line Greek legislation with current employment realities, and accused critics of misleading the citizens.

These regulations will give workers the choice to accept additional hours with the current company for 40% higher compensation, while ensuring they will not be fired for refusing extra hours.

The measure follows EU working-time rules, which cap the mean workweek to 48 hours including overtime but allow flexibility over a year, as stated by the government.

Opposition Viewpoints and Labor Responses

However, critics have charged the administration of weakening workers' rights and "pushing the nation back to a medieval work era." They argue Greek employees already work longer hours than most EU citizens while earning less and still "face financial difficulties."

The public-sector union said flexible working hours in reality mean "the abolition of the eight-hour day, the destruction of family and social life and the legalisation of excessive labor."

Previous Workplace Changes and Economic Background

In 2024, Greece enacted a six-day working week for certain industries in a bid to stimulate economic growth.

New legislation, which started at the beginning of the summer, permit workers to labor up to 48 hours in a week as opposed to forty.

European Work Data and Greek Financial Indicators

• Across the EU in 2024, the highest average hours were observed in Greece (39.8 hours), then Bulgaria (39.0), Poland and Romania.
• The shortest work hours in the bloc is in the Netherlands, according to EU statistics.
• As of January 2025, Greece's national minimum wage was €968 a month, ranking it in the lower tier among EU countries.
• Unemployment, which had peaked at twenty-eight percent during the financial crisis, was eight point one percent in August compared with an European mean of five point nine percent, data from Eurostat show.
• The country is improving since its decade-long financial troubles, which ended in 2018, but wages and living standards continue to be among the lowest in the European Union.