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Government Building

The Greek legislature has approved a contentious labor reform that enables 13-hour work shifts, in the face of widespread resistance and nationwide protests.

Government officials claimed the measure will modernize the country's labor regulations, but opposition figures from the left-wing party labeled it as a "legislative monstrosity."

Key Provisions of the Recently Passed Work Legislation

According to the freshly approved legislation, yearly extra hours is capped at 150 hours, while the standard 40-hour week remains in place.

Officials maintains that the longer shift is elective, only applies to the business sector, and can exclusively be used for up to 37 days annually.

Political Support and Opposition

Thursday's ballot was backed by MPs from the ruling centre-right political group, with the moderate party – now the primary opposition – rejecting the legislation, while the left-wing party did not vote.

Worker organizations have organized multiple protests demanding the bill's withdrawal this month that brought transportation and services to a stop.

Government Justification and Employee Protections

A senior official supported the legislation, stating the reforms bring in line national legislation with current labor-market realities, and accused critics of misleading the public.

These regulations will provide workers the choice to accept additional hours with the same employer for 40% higher pay, while guaranteeing they will not be dismissed for declining overtime.

The measure follows EU working-time regulations, which cap the mean week to 48 hours including extra hours but permit flexibility over a year, as stated by the government.

Opposition Perspectives and Labor Reactions

But, opposition parties have charged the government of weakening workers' rights and "pushing the nation back to a labor middle age." They argue Greek workers already put in more time than most Europeans while earning less and still "struggle to make ends meet."

The public-sector union said variable shifts in practice mean "the abolition of the eight-hour day, the disruption of family and social life and the authorization of excessive labor."

Previous Workplace Reforms and Financial Context

In 2024, the country enacted a six-day work schedule for certain sectors in a attempt to stimulate the economy.

New laws, which came into effect at the start of July, permit workers to work up to 48 hours in a workweek as instead of 40.

EU Labor Statistics and National Financial Indicators

• Across the European Union in 2024, the highest average hours were recorded in the Hellenic Republic, followed by Bulgaria, Poland and Romania.
• The lowest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands (32.1), according to Eurostat.
• As of January 2025, the nation's national minimum wage stood at nine hundred sixty-eight euros a month, placing it in the bottom group among European nations.
• Unemployment, which had reached a high at 28% during the financial crisis, was 8.1% in August versus an European mean of five point nine percent, data from the statistical office show.
• The country is improving since its prolonged financial troubles, which ended in recent years, but salaries and quality of life continue to be among the lowest in the EU.