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Greece's parliament has approved a disputed work legislation that enables extended-length working days, despite widespread resistance and nationwide protests.

The administration claimed the measure will modernize Greek labor regulations, but opposition figures from the left-wing faction described it as a "regulatory disaster."

Main Provisions of the Recently Passed Work Legislation

Under the newly enacted legislation, annual extra hours is capped at 150 hours, while the regular 40-hour workweek stays unchanged.

The government insists that the longer shift is optional, only applies to the private sector, and can exclusively be used for up to 37 days annually.

Political Backing and Resistance

The recent vote was backed by lawmakers from the governing conservative party, with the moderate faction – now the primary resistance – voting against the bill, while the left-wing group abstained.

Labor unions have organized two general strikes calling for the bill's withdrawal recently that halted public transport and services to a stop.

Government Defense and Worker Safeguards

The Labor Minister defended the legislation, claiming the changes align national legislation with current employment conditions, and alleged critics of misinforming the public.

These regulations will provide workers the option to take on extra work with the current company for 40% higher compensation, while guaranteeing they will not be dismissed for refusing extra hours.

The measure follows EU labor rules, which limit the mean workweek to 48 hours including extra hours but permit adjustments over 12 months, as stated by the administration.

Opposition Viewpoints and Union Responses

But, opposition parties have accused the administration of eroding employee protections and "driving the country back to a medieval work era." They argue Greek workers already work longer hours than most EU citizens while receiving lower pay and still "struggle to make ends meet."

A major labor organization stated variable shifts in reality mean "the abolition of the standard workday, the disruption of personal time and the legalisation of over-exploitation."

Recent Labor Changes and Financial Context

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

New legislation, which came into effect at the beginning of July, permit employees to work up to forty-eight hours in a workweek as instead of forty.

European Work Statistics and National Financial Indicators

• Across the EU in the previous year, the highest working weeks were recorded in Greece (39.8 hours), then Bulgaria, Poland (38.9) and Romania (38.8).
• The lowest working week in the union is in the Netherlands (32.1), according to EU statistics.
• Starting January 2025, the nation's national minimum wage was €968 a month, ranking it in the bottom group among EU countries.
• Unemployment, which had peaked at 28% during the economic downturn, was 8.1% in the summer versus an European mean of 5.9%, figures from Eurostat show.
• The country is improving since its decade-long financial troubles, which ended in recent years, but salaries and quality of life continue to be among the poorest in the EU.