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The Greek legislature has given the green light a contentious work legislation that permits 13-hour work shifts, despite strong resistance and countrywide strike actions.

Government officials claimed the measure will revamp Greek labor regulations, but critics from the left-wing party labeled it as a "regulatory disaster."

Main Elements of the Recently Passed Work Legislation

Under the freshly approved legislation, annual overtime is limited at one hundred and fifty hours, while the regular 40-hour workweek stays unchanged.

Officials insists that the longer shift is elective, solely applies to the private sector, and can exclusively be implemented for up to thirty-seven days each year.

Parliamentary Backing and Opposition

Thursday's ballot was backed by lawmakers from the ruling centre-right political group, with the moderate party – currently the primary opposition – voting against the bill, while the left-wing party did not vote.

Labor unions have organized two general strikes demanding the law's repeal this month that halted transportation and services to a stop.

Government Justification and Worker Safeguards

A senior official defended the legislation, saying the reforms align national laws with current labor-market conditions, and alleged critics of misleading the public.

The laws will give workers the option to take on extra work with the same employer for 40% higher pay, while ensuring they cannot be fired for refusing overtime.

This follows European Union working-time rules, which cap the mean week to forty-eight hours counting overtime but permit flexibility over 12 months, as stated by the administration.

Critical Perspectives and Union Reactions

But, opposition parties have accused the administration of eroding workers' rights and "driving the nation back to a medieval work era." They argue Greek employees currently put in more time than the majority of EU citizens while earning less and still "face financial difficulties."

The public-sector union stated flexible working hours in reality mean "the end of the eight-hour day, the disruption of personal time and the legalisation of over-exploitation."

Previous Labor Changes and Financial Context

In 2024, the country enacted a six-day working week for certain industries in a bid to boost the economy.

Recent legislation, which started at the start of July, permit employees to work up to forty-eight hours in a week as instead of 40.

European Work Data and National Economic Indicators

• Across the EU in the previous year, the highest average hours were observed in Greece (39.8 hours), followed by Bulgaria (39.0), Poland and Romania (38.8).
• The shortest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands, as per Eurostat.
• As of January 2025, Greece's national base pay was €968 a month, placing it in the bottom group among EU countries.
• Unemployment, which had peaked at 28% during the financial crisis, was 8.1% in August versus an EU average of five point nine percent, figures from Eurostat show.
• Greece is recovering since its prolonged debt crisis, which ended in 2018, but salaries and living standards continue to be among the poorest in the European Union.