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Government Building

Greece's parliament has ratified a contentious labor reform that authorizes extended-length work shifts, in the face of strong opposition and nationwide protests.

Government officials asserted the measure will modernize Greek labor regulations, but opposition figures from the progressive party described it as a "regulatory disaster."

Key Provisions of the Recently Passed Work Legislation

According to the newly enacted law, yearly extra hours is limited at 150 hours, while the standard 40-hour workweek remains in place.

Officials insists that the extended shift is elective, only applies to the private sector, and can only be implemented for up to thirty-seven days annually.

Parliamentary Support and Opposition

The recent ballot was backed by MPs from the governing centre-right political group, with the centre-left party – now the main opposition – voting against the bill, while the progressive party did not vote.

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

Official Defense and Worker Safeguards

A senior official defended the legislation, stating the changes bring in line national laws with current labor-market conditions, and accused opposition leaders of misleading the citizens.

These regulations will provide workers the choice to accept extra work with the current company for increased compensation, while guaranteeing they cannot be dismissed for declining overtime.

This complies with EU working-time regulations, which cap the mean workweek to forty-eight hours counting extra hours but allow flexibility over 12 months, as stated by the administration.

Opposition Perspectives and Labor Responses

However, opposition parties have charged the administration of weakening employee protections and "pushing the nation back to a medieval work era." They argue Greek employees currently work longer hours than the majority of Europeans while receiving lower pay and still "face financial difficulties."

The public-sector union said flexible working hours in reality mean "the abolition of the eight-hour day, the disruption of personal time and the authorization of over-exploitation."

Previous Labor Reforms and Economic Context

In 2024, the country enacted a six-day work schedule for specific industries in a attempt to boost the economy.

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

EU Labor Data and National Economic Metrics

• Throughout the European Union in 2024, the highest working weeks were observed in Greece (39.8 hours), then Bulgaria (39.0), Poland (38.9) and Romania (38.8).
• The lowest working week in the union is in the Netherlands, as per Eurostat.
• As of this year, the nation's national base pay was €968 a month, placing it in the lower tier among European nations.
• Unemployment, which had reached a high at 28% during the financial crisis, was 8.1% in August versus an EU average of 5.9%, data from the statistical office indicate.
• The country is improving since its decade-long financial troubles, which concluded in recent years, but wages and quality of life continue to be among the poorest in the EU.