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Greece's parliament has ratified a contentious work legislation that permits 13-hour work shifts, despite strong opposition and nationwide strike actions.

Government officials stated the measure will modernize the country's work laws, but opposition figures from the left-wing party described it as a "harmful law."

Main Elements of the Recently Passed Work Legislation

Under the freshly approved legislation, yearly extra hours is limited at one hundred and fifty hours, while the regular 40-hour workweek stays unchanged.

Officials emphasizes that the extended shift is elective, only applies to the private sector, and can exclusively be implemented for up to 37 days annually.

Political Backing and Opposition

The recent ballot was backed by lawmakers from the governing centre-right political group, with the moderate party – currently the primary resistance – voting against the legislation, while the left-wing party abstained.

Labor unions have organized multiple protests demanding the law's repeal recently that brought transportation and services to a stop.

Government Justification and Worker Safeguards

A senior official defended the bill, saying the changes bring in line Greek laws with modern labor-market realities, and alleged opposition leaders of misinforming the citizens.

The laws will provide workers the choice to take on extra work with the same employer for increased compensation, while ensuring they cannot be fired for refusing overtime.

The measure follows EU labor rules, which cap the mean week to forty-eight hours counting overtime but allow flexibility over a year, according to the government.

Opposition Perspectives and Union Responses

However, critics have charged the administration of eroding employee protections and "driving the nation back to a medieval work era." They argue Greek employees currently put in more time than most EU citizens while receiving lower pay and still "face financial difficulties."

A major labor organization stated variable shifts in practice mean "the end of the eight-hour day, the destruction of family and social life and the authorization of over-exploitation."

Recent Workplace Reforms and Financial Background

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

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

European Labor Statistics and National Economic Indicators

• Across the European Union in 2024, the longest average hours were recorded in Greece (39.8 hours), followed by Bulgaria (39.0), Poland (38.9) and Romania.
• The shortest work hours in the bloc is in the Netherlands (32.1), according to Eurostat.
• As of January 2025, Greece's national minimum wage was €968 a month, placing it in the lower tier among European nations.
• Unemployment, which had peaked at 28% during the economic downturn, was 8.1% in August versus an European mean of five point nine percent, figures from Eurostat indicate.
• Greece is recovering since its decade-long debt crisis, which ended in 2018, but salaries and living standards remain among the lowest in the EU.