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Government Building

Greece's legislature has approved a contentious work legislation that enables 13-hour work shifts, in the face of strong resistance and nationwide strike actions.

The administration stated the law will modernize Greek work laws, but opposition figures from the left-wing faction labeled it as a "legislative monstrosity."

Key Provisions of the Recently Passed Labor Law

Under the newly enacted law, annual extra hours is limited at one hundred and fifty hours, while the regular 40-hour workweek stays unchanged.

The government insists that the extended workday is elective, only affects the private sector, and can exclusively be applied for up to thirty-seven days each year.

Parliamentary Backing and Opposition

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

Worker organizations have organized two general strikes calling for the law's repeal this month that halted public transport and services to a standstill.

Official Justification and Worker Safeguards

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

The laws will give workers the option to take on additional hours with the same employer for increased pay, while guaranteeing they will not be fired for refusing extra hours.

The measure complies with European Union working-time regulations, which limit the mean workweek to 48 hours including extra hours but permit adjustments over 12 months, as stated by the government.

Critical Viewpoints and Union Reactions

However, critics have charged the administration of eroding workers' rights and "pushing the nation back to a labor middle age." They argue local employees already put in more time than most Europeans while receiving lower pay and still "face financial difficulties."

A major labor organization said variable shifts in practice mean "the end of the eight-hour day, the disruption of family and social life and the authorization of over-exploitation."

Recent Labor Changes and Financial Context

Last year, Greece enacted a six-day working week for certain sectors in a attempt to stimulate economic growth.

Recent legislation, which came into effect at the beginning of the summer, permit employees to labor up to forty-eight hours in a workweek as opposed to 40.

EU Labor Statistics and National Financial Metrics

• Throughout the European Union in 2024, the highest average hours were recorded in Greece (39.8 hours), followed by Bulgaria, Poland (38.9) and Romania.
• The shortest work hours in the bloc is in the Netherlands, as per Eurostat.
• Starting January 2025, Greece's national minimum wage stood at €968 a month, ranking it in the lower tier among EU countries.
• Unemployment, which had reached a high at twenty-eight percent during the economic downturn, was eight point one percent in August compared with an EU average of 5.9%, figures from the statistical office indicate.
• The country is recovering since its prolonged debt crisis, which ended in recent years, but salaries and living standards continue to be among the poorest in the European Union.