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Greece's legislature has given the green light a disputed labor reform that permits extended-length working days, despite strong resistance and countrywide protests.

The administration stated the measure will revamp Greek work laws, but critics from the progressive party labeled it as a "regulatory disaster."

Key Elements of the New Work Legislation

Under the newly enacted law, yearly overtime is limited at one hundred and fifty hours, while the regular 40-hour workweek remains in place.

Officials maintains that the extended shift is elective, solely affects the private sector, and can exclusively be applied for up to thirty-seven days each year.

Political Backing and Resistance

Thursday's ballot was backed by lawmakers from the ruling centre-right party, with the centre-left faction – now the primary resistance – voting against the legislation, while the progressive group abstained.

Labor unions have staged two general strikes demanding the bill's withdrawal this month that halted public transport and public services to a standstill.

Government Defense and Employee Protections

A senior official supported the legislation, stating the reforms align national laws with modern labor-market realities, and alleged critics of misinforming the citizens.

These regulations will provide employees the option to accept extra work with the current company for 40% higher compensation, while ensuring they will not be dismissed for refusing overtime.

This follows EU working-time rules, which cap the mean week to 48 hours including extra hours but permit adjustments over 12 months, according to the government.

Opposition Perspectives and Labor Reactions

However, critics have charged the government of weakening employee protections and "driving the country back to a medieval work era." They argue local employees currently put in more time than most Europeans while earning less and still "struggle to make ends meet."

A major labor organization said flexible working hours in practice mean "the end of the standard workday, the disruption of personal time and the legalisation of excessive labor."

Recent Workplace Changes and Financial Context

In 2024, Greece introduced a six-day work schedule for specific industries in a bid to boost economic growth.

New legislation, which came into effect at the beginning of the summer, permit workers to work up to forty-eight hours in a week as opposed to 40.

EU Labor Data and National Economic Indicators

• Throughout the EU in 2024, the highest average hours were recorded in the Hellenic Republic, followed by Bulgaria, Poland and Romania (38.8).
• The shortest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands, as per Eurostat.
• Starting January 2025, Greece's official minimum wage stood at €968 a month, ranking it in the lower tier among European nations.
• Unemployment, which had peaked at twenty-eight percent during the economic downturn, was eight point one percent in August versus an EU average of 5.9%, figures from Eurostat show.
• The country is recovering since its prolonged debt crisis, which concluded in recent years, but wages and living standards remain among the poorest in the European Union.