Greece Passes Controversial Workplace Legislation Authorizing Extended Workdays in Specific Circumstances

Government Building

The Greek legislature has ratified a disputed labor reform that enables extended-length work shifts, despite fierce opposition and nationwide strike actions.

The administration asserted the measure will modernize Greek labor regulations, but opposition figures from the progressive faction described it as a "regulatory disaster."

Key Provisions of the Recently Passed Labor Law

According to the freshly approved law, annual extra hours is capped at one hundred and fifty hours, while the standard 40-hour week continues as before.

The government emphasizes that the longer workday is elective, solely affects the private sector, and can exclusively be applied for up to 37 days each year.

Political Support and Opposition

Thursday's vote was supported by lawmakers from the ruling conservative political group, with the moderate party – currently the main opposition – voting against the legislation, while the left-wing group did not vote.

Labor unions have organized multiple protests demanding the law's repeal this month that halted public transport and services to a stop.

Official Justification and Worker Protections

The Labor Minister defended the legislation, claiming the changes bring in line national legislation with current employment conditions, and accused critics of misinforming the public.

The laws will provide workers the option to take on additional hours with the same employer for increased pay, while guaranteeing they will not be fired for declining extra hours.

This follows European Union labor regulations, which limit the average workweek to 48 hours counting overtime but allow adjustments over 12 months, according to the administration.

Opposition Perspectives and Union Reactions

However, critics have accused the administration of eroding 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 Europeans while earning less and still "struggle to make ends meet."

A major labor organization said flexible working hours in practice mean "the end of the standard workday, the disruption of personal time and the legalisation of excessive labor."

Recent Workplace Reforms and Financial Background

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

New laws, which came into effect at the start of July, allow employees to work up to 48 hours in a workweek as instead of 40.

EU Labor Statistics and Greek Financial Indicators

• Throughout the EU in 2024, the highest average hours were observed in the Hellenic Republic, then Bulgaria (39.0), Poland and Romania (38.8).
• The shortest work hours in the bloc is in the Netherlands, as per EU statistics.
• Starting January 2025, Greece's official base pay was €968 a month, ranking it in the bottom group among EU countries.
• Joblessness, which had reached a high at 28% during the economic downturn, was 8.1% in August versus an EU average of five point nine percent, figures from the statistical office show.
• The country is recovering since its decade-long financial troubles, which ended in 2018, but salaries and quality of life continue to be among the poorest in the European Union.