Greece Enacts Disputed Labor Legislation Allowing 13-Hour Workdays in Certain Circumstances

Government Building

Greece's parliament has approved a contentious work legislation that enables extended-length work shifts, in the face of fierce opposition and nationwide strike actions.

Government officials stated the law will modernize Greek labor regulations, but critics from the left-wing faction described it as a "legislative monstrosity."

Key Provisions of the Recently Passed Labor Law

Under the newly enacted legislation, yearly extra hours is capped at one hundred and fifty hours, while the standard forty-hour week stays unchanged.

Officials maintains that the extended workday is optional, solely affects the private sector, and can exclusively be implemented for up to thirty-seven days annually.

Political Backing and Opposition

The recent ballot was backed by MPs from the governing conservative party, with the centre-left party – currently the main resistance – rejecting the bill, while the progressive party abstained.

Worker organizations have staged two general strikes calling for the law's repeal this month that brought public transport and services to a stop.

Government Defense and Employee Protections

The Labor Minister supported the bill, stating the changes bring in line Greek laws with current labor-market conditions, and accused critics of misleading the citizens.

The laws will give employees the option to accept additional hours with the same employer for 40% higher pay, while guaranteeing they will not be fired for refusing extra hours.

This follows European Union labor rules, which cap the mean workweek to forty-eight hours including overtime but permit adjustments over a year, as stated by the government.

Critical Viewpoints and Labor Reactions

But, critics have charged the government of weakening workers' rights and "pushing the country back to a labor middle age." They argue Greek workers currently work longer hours than the majority of Europeans while earning less and still "face financial difficulties."

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

Previous Workplace Reforms and Economic Background

In 2024, Greece introduced a six-day work schedule for specific sectors in a bid to stimulate the economy.

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

EU Labor Data and Greek Economic Indicators

• Across the European Union in 2024, the longest average hours were observed in the Hellenic Republic, followed by Bulgaria (39.0), Poland and Romania (38.8).
• The lowest work hours in the bloc is in the Netherlands (32.1), as per Eurostat.
• As of January 2025, Greece's official minimum wage was nine hundred sixty-eight euros a month, placing it in the bottom group among European nations.
• Unemployment, which had reached a high at 28% during the financial crisis, was 8.1% in August versus an European mean of five point nine percent, figures from Eurostat show.
• The country is improving since its prolonged financial troubles, which concluded in 2018, but salaries and quality of life continue to be among the lowest in the EU.