🔗 Share this article The Greek Parliament Enacts Disputed Workplace Legislation Authorizing Extended Workdays in Specific Cases Government Building Greece's parliament has given the green light a hotly debated labor reform that enables extended-length work shifts, despite fierce resistance and countrywide strike actions. The administration claimed the measure will update Greek work laws, but critics from the left-wing party labeled it as a "harmful law." Key Elements of the Recently Passed Labor Law According to the newly enacted legislation, annual overtime is also at 150 hours, while the regular forty-hour week continues as before. The government insists that the longer shift is elective, solely applies to the business sector, and can only be applied for up to thirty-seven days annually. Parliamentary Backing and Resistance Thursday's ballot was backed by MPs from the governing centre-right political group, with the moderate party – now the primary opposition – voting against the bill, while the progressive party abstained. Labor unions have staged two general strikes calling for the law's repeal this month that halted public transport and public services to a stop. Government Justification and Worker Protections The Labor Minister supported the bill, saying the reforms align Greek legislation with modern employment realities, and alleged opposition leaders of misinforming the citizens. The laws will give workers the option to accept additional hours with the current company for 40% higher pay, while guaranteeing they cannot be dismissed for refusing extra hours. The measure complies with European Union labor regulations, which cap the average workweek to forty-eight hours including extra hours but permit flexibility over 12 months, as stated by the government. Opposition Perspectives and Labor Reactions However, opposition parties have charged the administration of eroding workers' rights and "driving the country back to a labor middle age." They argue local workers already work longer hours than most EU citizens while receiving lower pay and still "struggle to make ends meet." A major labor organization said flexible working hours in reality mean "the abolition of the standard workday, the disruption of family and social life and the authorization of over-exploitation." Recent Workplace Reforms and Economic Context Last year, the country introduced a six-day work schedule for certain sectors in a bid to boost economic growth. Recent laws, which came into effect at the start of July, permit workers to labor up to 48 hours in a workweek as opposed to forty. EU Labor Statistics and National Economic Indicators Across the EU in 2024, the longest average hours were recorded in the Hellenic Republic, then Bulgaria, Poland (38.9) and Romania (38.8). The lowest work hours in the bloc is in the Netherlands, as per Eurostat. Starting January 2025, Greece's official minimum wage stood at €968 a month, ranking it in the bottom group among European nations. Unemployment, which had reached a high at 28% during the financial crisis, was 8.1% in the summer compared with an EU average of five point nine percent, data from the statistical office show. Greece is improving since its prolonged debt crisis, which ended in recent years, but salaries and quality of life remain among the poorest in the EU.