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Government Building

Greece's legislature has given the green light a disputed work legislation that permits extended-length working days, despite fierce resistance and countrywide strike actions.

The administration claimed the law will update the country's labor regulations, but opposition figures from the progressive faction described it as a "harmful law."

Main Provisions of the Recently Passed Work Legislation

According to the freshly approved law, annual overtime is also at 150 hours, while the regular forty-hour week continues as before.

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

Political Support and Opposition

Thursday's vote was supported by lawmakers from the governing conservative party, with the moderate party – currently the main resistance – voting against the legislation, while the progressive party did not vote.

Worker organizations have organized multiple protests demanding the law's repeal recently that halted public transport and public services to a standstill.

Official Defense and Employee Protections

A senior official defended the bill, stating the reforms bring in line national laws with modern employment conditions, and accused opposition leaders of misinforming the public.

The laws will give employees the option to accept extra work with the current company for increased pay, while ensuring they will not be fired for refusing overtime.

This complies with EU labor rules, which limit the mean workweek to forty-eight hours including extra hours but permit flexibility over a year, as stated by the administration.

Opposition Perspectives and Labor Reactions

But, opposition parties have charged the administration of weakening workers' rights and "driving the country back to a medieval work era." They argue Greek workers already put in more time than most EU citizens while earning less and still "struggle to make ends meet."

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

Previous Labor Reforms and Financial Background

Last year, Greece introduced a six-day work schedule for certain sectors in a bid to boost the economy.

Recent laws, which came into effect at the beginning of July, permit workers to labor up to forty-eight hours in a week as instead of 40.

European Labor Statistics and Greek Economic Indicators

• Across the European Union in 2024, the highest average hours were recorded in the Hellenic Republic, then Bulgaria, Poland and Romania (38.8).
• The lowest working week in the union is in the Netherlands (32.1), according to EU statistics.
• As of January 2025, Greece's official minimum wage stood at €968 a month, ranking it in the lower tier among EU countries.
• Joblessness, which had peaked at twenty-eight percent during the economic downturn, was 8.1% in the summer versus an EU average of 5.9%, data from Eurostat indicate.
• The country is recovering since its prolonged debt crisis, which ended in 2018, but wages and quality of life remain among the lowest in the European Union.