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Government Building

Greece's legislature has approved a disputed work legislation that enables extended-length working days, in the face of fierce opposition and countrywide protests.

Government officials stated the measure will modernize Greek labor regulations, but opposition figures from the progressive faction described it as a "legislative monstrosity."

Main Provisions of the Recently Passed Labor Law

Under the freshly approved law, yearly extra hours is capped at 150 hours, while the standard 40-hour week remains in place.

The government maintains that the extended shift is elective, solely applies to the business sector, and can only be applied for up to thirty-seven days each year.

Political Backing and Opposition

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

Labor unions have staged two general strikes calling for the bill's withdrawal this month that halted transportation and services to a standstill.

Official Defense and Worker Protections

The Labor Minister defended the legislation, saying the changes align Greek legislation with modern labor-market realities, and alleged critics of misinforming the public.

The laws will provide employees the option to take on extra work with the current company for 40% higher compensation, while guaranteeing they cannot be dismissed for refusing extra hours.

The measure follows European Union working-time regulations, which cap the average workweek to forty-eight hours including extra hours but permit flexibility over a year, according to the government.

Critical Viewpoints and Union Reactions

But, critics have charged the government of weakening employee protections and "pushing the country back to a labor middle age." They say local employees already work longer hours than most Europeans while earning less and still "face financial difficulties."

A major labor organization said variable shifts in practice mean "the end of the eight-hour day, the destruction of personal time and the legalisation of excessive labor."

Previous Workplace Changes and Financial Context

In 2024, Greece introduced a six-day working week for specific industries in a attempt to stimulate economic growth.

New legislation, which started at the beginning of the summer, allow employees to work up to 48 hours in a week as instead of forty.

EU Labor Data and National Financial Indicators

• Across the European Union in the previous year, the longest average hours were observed in Greece (39.8 hours), then Bulgaria (39.0), Poland and Romania (38.8).
• The shortest working week in the union is in the Netherlands (32.1), according to EU statistics.
• As of this year, Greece's official base pay was nine hundred sixty-eight euros a month, placing it in the bottom group among EU countries.
• Joblessness, which had peaked at 28% during the economic downturn, was eight point one percent in the summer compared with an European mean of five point nine percent, data from Eurostat show.
• The country is recovering since its prolonged financial troubles, which ended in recent years, but wages and quality of life continue to be among the lowest in the European Union.