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The Greek legislature has given the green light a disputed labor reform that permits extended-length working days, despite strong opposition and nationwide protests.

The administration asserted the measure will update the country's labor regulations, but critics from the progressive faction described it as a "regulatory disaster."

Main Provisions of the New Labor Law

Under the newly enacted law, yearly overtime is also at one hundred and fifty hours, while the standard forty-hour workweek stays unchanged.

The government emphasizes that the longer workday is elective, solely affects the business sector, and can only be implemented for up to 37 days each year.

Political Backing and Resistance

Thursday's vote was backed by MPs from the governing conservative political group, with the moderate faction – currently the main opposition – voting against the legislation, while the left-wing group did not vote.

Worker organizations have organized multiple protests calling for the law's repeal this month that brought transportation and services to a standstill.

Government Justification and Employee Protections

The Labor Minister supported the bill, saying the reforms align national laws with current employment conditions, and accused opposition leaders of misleading the public.

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

This complies with EU labor rules, which cap the average workweek to 48 hours counting overtime but permit adjustments over a year, as stated by the administration.

Opposition Perspectives and Labor Reactions

But, opposition parties have accused the government of weakening workers' rights and "driving the country back to a medieval work era." They argue Greek employees already put in more time than the majority of EU citizens while receiving lower pay and still "face financial difficulties."

A major labor organization stated flexible working hours in reality mean "the end of the standard workday, the destruction of personal time and the authorization of over-exploitation."

Recent Labor Changes and Financial Background

Last year, Greece enacted a six-day work schedule for specific industries in a attempt to boost the economy.

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

European Labor Data and National Economic Metrics

• Across the EU in the previous year, the longest average hours were recorded in Greece (39.8 hours), followed by Bulgaria (39.0), Poland and Romania (38.8).
• The shortest work hours in the union is in the Netherlands, as per Eurostat.
• Starting January 2025, the nation's national minimum wage stood at €968 a month, placing it in the bottom group among European nations.
• Unemployment, which had reached a high at 28% during the economic downturn, was 8.1% in August versus an EU average of five point nine percent, data from Eurostat indicate.
• The country is recovering since its decade-long financial troubles, which concluded in 2018, but salaries and living standards continue to be among the lowest in the European Union.