🔗 Share this article The Greek Parliament Approves Disputed Labor Legislation Authorizing Extended Working Days in Specific Situations Government Building The Greek legislature has given the green light a disputed work legislation that enables 13-hour work shifts, in the face of strong opposition and nationwide protests. The administration stated the law will modernize the country's labor regulations, but critics from the left-wing faction described it as a "legislative monstrosity." Key Provisions of the Recently Passed Work Legislation According to the freshly approved legislation, yearly extra hours is limited at one hundred and fifty hours, while the regular 40-hour workweek continues as before. Officials insists that the extended shift is optional, only applies to the private sector, and can only be applied for up to 37 days annually. Political Support and Opposition The recent ballot was supported by MPs from the ruling centre-right political group, with the moderate party – now the main resistance – rejecting the legislation, while the left-wing group abstained. Worker organizations have staged two general strikes calling for the law's repeal this month that halted public transport and public services to a stop. Official Justification and Employee Protections The Labor Minister supported the bill, saying the changes bring in line national legislation with modern employment conditions, and alleged critics of misleading the public. These regulations will give employees the option to take on extra work with the same employer for 40% higher compensation, while ensuring they cannot be dismissed for refusing overtime. This follows EU labor rules, which limit the average workweek to 48 hours counting extra hours but allow flexibility over 12 months, according to the government. Critical Viewpoints and Labor Reactions However, critics have charged the administration of weakening workers' rights and "pushing the nation back to a labor middle age." They argue Greek workers currently work longer hours than most Europeans while receiving lower pay and still "face financial difficulties." A major labor organization stated variable shifts in reality mean "the abolition of the standard workday, the destruction of personal time and the legalisation of excessive labor." Previous Workplace Changes and Economic Background In 2024, Greece introduced a six-day working week for certain sectors in a bid to stimulate economic growth. New laws, which started at the start of July, allow workers to work up to 48 hours in a week as instead of forty. EU Work Data and Greek Economic Indicators Across the EU in the previous year, the longest average hours were recorded in the Hellenic Republic, then Bulgaria (39.0), Poland (38.9) and Romania. The lowest working week in the union is in the Netherlands, as per EU statistics. As of January 2025, Greece's national minimum wage stood at €968 a month, ranking it in the bottom group among EU countries. Joblessness, which had peaked at twenty-eight percent during the economic downturn, was eight point one percent in the summer compared with an EU average of 5.9%, figures from Eurostat indicate. Greece is improving since its prolonged debt crisis, which ended in recent years, but salaries and living standards remain among the lowest in the European Union.