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The Greek parliament has given the green light a disputed labor reform that authorizes 13-hour work shifts, despite fierce resistance and countrywide strike actions.

Government officials stated the law will update the country's labor regulations, but opposition figures from the left-wing faction labeled it as a "harmful law."

Key Elements of the Recently Passed Labor Law

Under the freshly approved legislation, yearly overtime is limited at 150 hours, while the regular 40-hour week stays unchanged.

The government insists that the extended shift is voluntary, solely affects the private sector, and can only be used for up to 37 days annually.

Political Backing and Opposition

The recent ballot was backed by MPs from the governing conservative party, with the moderate party – now the main opposition – voting against the legislation, while the progressive party did not vote.

Labor unions have staged two general strikes calling for the bill's withdrawal recently that halted public transport and services to a standstill.

Government Justification and Employee Safeguards

The Labor Minister defended the legislation, claiming the reforms bring in line national legislation with current employment conditions, and alleged critics of misinforming the citizens.

These regulations will give workers the option to accept extra work with the same employer for 40% higher pay, while guaranteeing they will not be dismissed for declining extra hours.

The measure complies with EU working-time regulations, which limit the average workweek to forty-eight hours counting overtime but permit flexibility over 12 months, according to the government.

Opposition Viewpoints and Union Reactions

However, critics have accused the administration of weakening employee protections and "driving the nation back to a labor middle age." They argue local employees currently put in more time than the majority of Europeans while earning less and still "struggle to make ends meet."

The public-sector union said flexible working hours in reality mean "the abolition of the standard workday, the destruction of family and social life and the authorization of excessive labor."

Previous Labor Changes and Financial Background

Last year, Greece introduced a six-day working week for specific sectors in a bid to stimulate economic growth.

New legislation, which came into effect at the beginning of July, allow workers to work up to 48 hours in a workweek as instead of 40.

EU Labor Statistics and Greek Economic Metrics

• Throughout the EU in 2024, the longest average hours were recorded in the Hellenic Republic, followed by Bulgaria, Poland (38.9) and Romania.
• The lowest work hours in the bloc is in the Netherlands (32.1), according to Eurostat.
• Starting this year, the nation's national minimum wage was nine hundred sixty-eight euros a month, placing it in the bottom group among European nations.
• Unemployment, which had peaked at 28% during the economic downturn, was eight point one percent in August compared with an European mean of 5.9%, figures from the statistical office show.
• Greece is improving since its prolonged debt crisis, which ended in recent years, but wages and quality of life remain among the poorest in the EU.