🔗 Share this article Greece Passes Disputed Workplace Legislation Allowing 13-Hour Workdays in Certain Circumstances Government Building The Greek parliament has approved a hotly debated work legislation that enables extended-length working days, in the face of widespread opposition and nationwide strike actions. The administration asserted the measure will modernize Greek work laws, but critics from the progressive party labeled it as a "legislative monstrosity." Key Provisions of the Recently Passed Work Legislation Under the newly enacted legislation, annual overtime is limited at 150 hours, while the regular 40-hour week continues as before. The government emphasizes that the longer workday is optional, solely applies to the private sector, and can only be implemented for up to 37 days each year. Political Support and Opposition Thursday's vote was supported by MPs from the governing centre-right political group, with the centre-left faction – now the main opposition – voting against the legislation, while the progressive party did not vote. Worker organizations have staged two general strikes demanding the bill's withdrawal this month that brought transportation and services to a stop. Official Justification and Employee Protections A senior official defended the legislation, saying the reforms align national legislation with modern employment conditions, and accused opposition leaders of misinforming the citizens. The laws will provide workers the choice to accept extra work with the current company for increased compensation, while guaranteeing they will not be dismissed for refusing overtime. This follows European Union working-time rules, which limit the mean week to forty-eight hours counting overtime but permit adjustments over a year, as stated by the administration. Opposition Viewpoints and Union Reactions However, opposition parties have charged the government of eroding workers' rights and "driving the country back to a labor middle age." They say local employees already put in more time than the majority of EU citizens while receiving lower pay and still "struggle to make ends meet." A major labor organization stated variable shifts in practice mean "the abolition of the standard workday, the destruction of personal time and the authorization of over-exploitation." Recent Labor Reforms and Financial Background In 2024, Greece enacted a six-day work schedule for certain industries in a bid to boost the economy. New laws, which started at the beginning of the summer, allow workers to labor up to 48 hours in a workweek as instead of 40. European Work Data and Greek Economic Indicators Throughout the EU in 2024, the longest average hours were recorded in the Hellenic Republic, followed by Bulgaria (39.0), Poland (38.9) and Romania (38.8). The lowest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands, as per Eurostat. As of this year, Greece's official base pay stood at €968 a month, placing it in the lower tier among EU countries. Unemployment, which had reached a high at 28% during the economic downturn, was 8.1% in the summer compared with an EU average of 5.9%, figures from Eurostat indicate. Greece is recovering since its prolonged financial troubles, which ended in 2018, but salaries and quality of life continue to be among the poorest in the EU.