The Greek Parliament Passes Disputed Labor Legislation Allowing 13-Hour Working Days in Specific Circumstances

Government Building

The Greek legislature has approved a contentious labor reform that authorizes extended-length work shifts, in the face of widespread resistance and nationwide protests.

The administration claimed the law will modernize the country's labor regulations, but opposition figures from the progressive party labeled it as a "regulatory disaster."

Key Provisions of the Recently Passed Labor Law

According to the newly enacted law, yearly extra hours is also at one hundred and fifty hours, while the regular 40-hour week continues as before.

Officials emphasizes that the extended workday is voluntary, solely applies to the business sector, and can only be applied for up to thirty-seven days annually.

Parliamentary Backing and Opposition

The recent ballot was supported by MPs from the ruling centre-right party, with the centre-left party – currently the main opposition – voting against the legislation, while the progressive group did not vote.

Worker organizations have staged multiple protests demanding the law's repeal this month that brought transportation and services to a standstill.

Official Defense and Employee Safeguards

The Labor Minister supported the legislation, stating the reforms align national legislation with modern employment conditions, and accused critics of misleading the public.

The laws will give workers the option to take on additional hours with the same employer for 40% higher pay, while guaranteeing they cannot be dismissed for declining overtime.

This complies with EU working-time rules, which limit the mean workweek to 48 hours including overtime but allow adjustments over a year, according to the administration.

Critical Perspectives and Union Responses

However, opposition parties have accused the administration of weakening employee protections and "driving the nation back to a labor middle age." They argue Greek workers already put in more time than the majority of EU citizens while receiving lower pay and still "struggle to make ends meet."

The public-sector union stated flexible working hours in reality mean "the abolition of the standard workday, the destruction of family and social life and the authorization of over-exploitation."

Previous Labor Changes and Economic Background

Last year, Greece introduced a six-day working week for specific industries in a bid to boost the economy.

Recent legislation, which came into effect at the start of the summer, allow workers to work up to 48 hours in a week as opposed to 40.

EU Work Data and Greek Economic Metrics

• Across the European Union in the previous year, the longest average hours were observed in Greece (39.8 hours), then Bulgaria, Poland and Romania (38.8).
• The shortest work hours in the bloc is in the Netherlands, according to EU statistics.
• Starting January 2025, Greece's national base pay stood at €968 a month, placing it in the bottom group among European nations.
• Unemployment, which had peaked at 28% during the economic downturn, was eight point one percent in August compared with an EU average of five point nine percent, figures from Eurostat indicate.
• Greece is improving since its decade-long debt crisis, which concluded in recent years, but wages and living standards remain among the poorest in the EU.