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Government Building

Greece's parliament has given the green light a hotly debated labor reform that permits extended-length working days, despite widespread opposition and countrywide protests.

The administration claimed the measure will update Greek labor regulations, but critics from the progressive party labeled it as a "regulatory disaster."

Main Provisions of the New Labor Law

According to the freshly approved legislation, yearly overtime is also at 150 hours, while the standard forty-hour workweek continues as before.

The government insists that the longer workday is optional, solely applies to the private sector, and can only be applied for up to thirty-seven days annually.

Parliamentary Support and Resistance

Thursday's vote was backed by MPs from the ruling conservative party, with the moderate party – currently the main resistance – rejecting the bill, while the progressive group did not vote.

Worker organizations have staged multiple protests demanding the law's repeal recently that halted public transport and public services to a standstill.

Official Justification and Employee Protections

A senior official defended the legislation, claiming the reforms bring in line Greek legislation with current labor-market realities, and alleged opposition leaders of misleading the citizens.

The laws will give employees the choice to take on extra work with the current company for increased compensation, while ensuring they will not be dismissed for declining overtime.

This follows European Union working-time rules, which limit the average week to 48 hours counting extra hours but allow flexibility over 12 months, as stated by the government.

Critical Perspectives and Labor Responses

But, critics have charged the government of eroding workers' rights and "driving the country back to a medieval work era." They argue Greek employees currently work longer hours than most EU citizens while earning less and still "struggle to make ends meet."

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

Previous Labor Changes and Economic Context

Last year, Greece introduced a six-day work schedule for certain industries in a attempt to boost economic growth.

Recent laws, which started at the start of the summer, allow workers to labor up to 48 hours in a week as opposed to 40.

EU Labor Statistics and National Financial Indicators

• Across the EU in 2024, the longest working weeks were observed in Greece (39.8 hours), followed by Bulgaria (39.0), Poland (38.9) and Romania (38.8).
• The shortest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands, as per EU statistics.
• Starting this year, the nation's national minimum wage stood at nine hundred sixty-eight euros a month, ranking it in the bottom group among EU countries.
• Unemployment, which had peaked at 28% during the financial crisis, was eight point one percent in August compared with an EU average of 5.9%, data from the statistical office indicate.
• Greece is improving since its decade-long debt crisis, which ended in recent years, but wages and quality of life continue to be among the poorest in the European Union.