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Government Building

Greece's parliament has ratified a hotly debated labor reform that enables extended-length working days, despite strong opposition and nationwide strike actions.

The administration stated the law will modernize Greek labor regulations, but opposition figures from the progressive faction labeled it as a "regulatory disaster."

Key Elements of the Recently Passed Labor Law

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

Officials maintains that the extended workday is voluntary, solely affects the business sector, and can exclusively be used for up to 37 days annually.

Political Support and Resistance

Thursday's ballot was supported by MPs from the governing conservative political group, with the centre-left faction – now the primary resistance – voting against the bill, while the progressive group abstained.

Labor unions have organized multiple protests demanding the law's repeal this month that brought public transport and services to a standstill.

Government Defense and Employee Safeguards

A senior official defended the bill, claiming the reforms bring in line Greek laws with current labor-market conditions, and alleged critics of misleading the public.

These regulations will provide workers the option to take on additional hours with the current company for 40% higher pay, while ensuring they will not be fired for declining extra hours.

The measure follows EU labor rules, which limit the mean week to forty-eight hours counting overtime but permit adjustments over 12 months, as stated by the administration.

Opposition Perspectives and Union Responses

However, critics have charged the government of eroding employee protections and "driving the nation back to a labor middle age." They argue local workers 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 reality mean "the end of the eight-hour day, the disruption of family and social life and the authorization of over-exploitation."

Recent Workplace Reforms and Economic Background

In 2024, the country introduced a six-day work schedule for certain industries in a bid to stimulate the economy.

Recent laws, which started at the start of July, allow workers to labor up to 48 hours in a week as instead of forty.

European Work Data and National Economic Metrics

• Throughout the EU in the previous year, the longest average hours were observed in the Hellenic Republic, followed by Bulgaria (39.0), Poland (38.9) and Romania.
• The lowest work hours in the bloc is in the Netherlands, according to EU statistics.
• Starting January 2025, Greece's official minimum wage was €968 a month, placing it in the bottom group among EU countries.
• Joblessness, which had reached a high at 28% during the financial crisis, was 8.1% in August versus an EU average of five point nine percent, figures from the statistical office indicate.
• Greece is improving since its prolonged debt crisis, which ended in recent years, but salaries and quality of life remain among the poorest in the EU.