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Government Building

The Greek parliament has given the green light a contentious labor reform that permits 13-hour work shifts, in the face of fierce resistance and countrywide protests.

Government officials claimed the measure will revamp Greek labor regulations, but critics from the left-wing party described it as a "legislative monstrosity."

Key Elements of the Recently Passed Labor Law

Under the newly enacted legislation, annual overtime is also at 150 hours, while the regular 40-hour week remains in place.

The government maintains that the extended workday is voluntary, only applies to the business sector, and can only be applied for up to 37 days annually.

Political Support and Opposition

The recent vote was supported by MPs from the ruling conservative party, with the moderate faction – now the primary opposition – rejecting the bill, while the progressive party did not vote.

Labor unions have staged multiple protests calling for the law's repeal recently that halted public transport and public services to a standstill.

Government Defense and Worker Safeguards

The Labor Minister defended the legislation, saying the reforms bring in line Greek laws with modern labor-market realities, and alleged opposition leaders of misleading the public.

The laws will give workers the choice to take on additional hours with the current company for 40% higher compensation, while ensuring they cannot be dismissed for declining overtime.

This complies with European Union working-time rules, which limit the mean week to forty-eight hours counting extra hours but allow adjustments over a year, according to the administration.

Opposition Viewpoints and Labor Reactions

However, opposition parties have accused the government of eroding workers' rights and "pushing the nation back to a medieval work era." They say local workers already work longer hours than most EU citizens while earning less and still "face financial difficulties."

A major labor organization stated variable shifts in practice mean "the end of the eight-hour day, the destruction of personal time and the authorization of over-exploitation."

Previous Workplace Reforms and Financial Background

Last year, Greece enacted a six-day work schedule for specific industries in a bid to boost economic growth.

New legislation, which started at the beginning of July, allow employees to labor up to forty-eight hours in a workweek as opposed to forty.

EU Labor Statistics and National Economic Metrics

• Throughout the EU in the previous year, the highest average hours were recorded in Greece (39.8 hours), followed by Bulgaria (39.0), Poland (38.9) and Romania (38.8).
• The shortest working week in the union is in the Netherlands, according to Eurostat.
• Starting this year, Greece's national minimum wage stood at nine hundred sixty-eight euros a month, ranking it in the bottom group among European nations.
• Joblessness, which had reached a high at 28% during the economic downturn, was eight point one percent in the summer versus an EU average of five point nine percent, data from Eurostat show.
• Greece is improving since its decade-long financial troubles, which ended in 2018, but wages and quality of life remain among the poorest in the EU.