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Greece's parliament has given the green light a disputed labor reform that permits 13-hour working days, in the face of widespread resistance and nationwide protests.

Government officials stated the measure will revamp Greek labor regulations, but critics from the progressive party labeled it as a "harmful law."

Key Elements of the New Labor Law

According to the freshly approved law, annual overtime is capped at 150 hours, while the regular 40-hour week stays unchanged.

The government emphasizes that the longer shift is optional, only affects the business sector, and can exclusively be applied for up to 37 days annually.

Political Backing and Resistance

The recent ballot was backed by MPs from the ruling centre-right party, with the centre-left party – now the main resistance – voting against the bill, while the left-wing group abstained.

Worker organizations have staged two general strikes calling for the bill's withdrawal this month that brought public transport and services to a standstill.

Official Defense and Worker Safeguards

The Labor Minister supported the bill, claiming the reforms bring in line Greek legislation with current labor-market conditions, and accused critics of misinforming the citizens.

The laws will give employees the option to accept extra work with the same employer for increased compensation, while ensuring they cannot be dismissed for refusing overtime.

This complies with EU labor regulations, which cap the mean week to forty-eight hours including overtime but allow flexibility over 12 months, as stated by the administration.

Opposition Perspectives and Labor Reactions

However, critics have accused the administration of eroding workers' rights and "driving the nation back to a labor middle age." They argue Greek employees currently work longer hours than the majority of EU citizens while receiving lower pay and still "struggle to make ends meet."

The public-sector union said variable shifts in practice mean "the end of the standard workday, the disruption of family and social life and the authorization of excessive labor."

Recent Workplace Changes and Financial Background

Last year, the country introduced a six-day work schedule for specific sectors in a bid to stimulate economic growth.

Recent legislation, which came into effect at the start of July, permit employees to work up to 48 hours in a workweek as instead of forty.

European Labor Data and National Financial Indicators

• Throughout the EU in the previous year, the highest working weeks were recorded in the Hellenic Republic, followed by Bulgaria (39.0), Poland (38.9) and Romania.
• The lowest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands, as per EU statistics.
• As of January 2025, the nation's official base pay stood at €968 a month, ranking it in the bottom group among EU countries.
• Joblessness, which had reached a high at twenty-eight percent during the economic downturn, was eight point one percent in August versus an EU average of five point nine percent, data from Eurostat indicate.
• The country is improving since its decade-long debt crisis, which concluded in 2018, but salaries and quality of life remain among the poorest in the European Union.