🔗 Share this article The Greek Parliament Passes Controversial Workplace Law Permitting Longer Working Days in Certain Circumstances Government Building Greece's parliament has approved a disputed work legislation that authorizes extended-length work shifts, in the face of strong resistance and nationwide strike actions. The administration asserted the measure will update Greek labor regulations, but critics from the progressive party labeled it as a "harmful law." Main Provisions of the Recently Passed Work Legislation According to the newly enacted law, annual extra hours is also at one hundred and fifty hours, while the standard 40-hour workweek remains in place. Officials emphasizes that the longer shift is elective, only applies to the private sector, and can exclusively be applied for up to thirty-seven days annually. Political Support and Opposition Thursday's vote was supported by lawmakers from the governing conservative political group, with the moderate party – currently the main resistance – rejecting the bill, while the progressive party did not vote. Labor unions have staged multiple protests calling for the law's repeal this month that halted public transport and services to a stop. Government Defense and Worker Protections The Labor Minister defended the bill, claiming the reforms bring in line national laws with modern employment realities, and alleged critics of misinforming the citizens. The laws will give workers the choice to take on extra work with the same employer for 40% higher compensation, while guaranteeing they will not be fired for declining extra hours. This complies with European Union working-time rules, which cap the average week to forty-eight hours including overtime but permit adjustments over 12 months, according to the government. Opposition Perspectives and Labor Responses But, opposition parties have accused the administration of weakening employee protections and "driving the country back to a medieval work era." They argue local workers currently put in more time than the majority of EU citizens while earning less and still "struggle to make ends meet." The public-sector union stated variable shifts in practice mean "the end of the eight-hour day, the disruption of personal time and the authorization of excessive labor." Recent Labor Changes and Economic Context Last year, Greece introduced a six-day working week for specific industries in a attempt to boost economic growth. New laws, which started at the beginning of the summer, permit employees to work up to forty-eight hours in a workweek as opposed to forty. European Labor Data and National Economic Indicators Throughout the EU in 2024, the highest average hours were recorded in the Hellenic Republic, then Bulgaria (39.0), Poland and Romania. The shortest work hours in the bloc is in the Netherlands (32.1), according to Eurostat. As of January 2025, Greece's official minimum wage was €968 a month, placing it in the lower tier among European nations. Unemployment, which had peaked at 28% during the financial crisis, was 8.1% in the summer versus an European mean of 5.9%, figures from Eurostat show. Greece is improving since its prolonged debt crisis, which ended in recent years, but salaries and quality of life continue to be among the poorest in the EU.