🔗 Share this article Greece Approves Controversial Labor Legislation Allowing 13-Hour Workdays in Certain Situations Government Building Greece's parliament has ratified a contentious work legislation that enables 13-hour work shifts, despite widespread opposition and countrywide strike actions. The administration stated the law will revamp the country's labor regulations, but critics from the progressive faction labeled it as a "legislative monstrosity." Main Elements 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 week remains in place. Officials insists that the extended workday is optional, only affects the private sector, and can only be used for up to thirty-seven days annually. Parliamentary Support and Resistance The recent ballot was supported by lawmakers from the governing conservative party, with the moderate party – currently the primary opposition – rejecting the bill, while the left-wing group did not vote. Labor unions have staged two general strikes calling for the law's repeal this month that halted public transport and services to a standstill. Government Justification and Worker Protections The Labor Minister defended the legislation, claiming the changes bring in line Greek legislation with modern employment conditions, and alleged critics of misinforming the citizens. The laws will give employees the choice to take on additional hours with the current company for 40% higher pay, while guaranteeing they will not be fired for declining overtime. The measure follows EU working-time regulations, which cap the average workweek to forty-eight hours counting extra hours but permit adjustments over a year, according to the administration. Critical Perspectives and Labor Reactions However, critics have charged the government of eroding workers' rights and "pushing the country back to a labor middle age." They say Greek workers currently put in more time than the majority of Europeans while earning less and still "face financial difficulties." A major labor organization stated variable shifts in reality mean "the end of the standard workday, the destruction of family and social life and the authorization of over-exploitation." Recent Workplace Reforms and Economic Context Last year, Greece enacted a six-day work schedule for specific sectors in a bid to stimulate economic growth. Recent laws, which started at the beginning of the summer, permit workers to labor up to forty-eight hours in a week as instead of 40. European Work Data and Greek Financial Metrics Across the European Union in 2024, the highest working weeks were observed in the Hellenic Republic, followed by Bulgaria (39.0), Poland and Romania (38.8). The shortest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands, according to Eurostat. Starting January 2025, the nation's national minimum wage was €968 a month, ranking it in the bottom group among European nations. Unemployment, which had peaked at twenty-eight percent during the economic downturn, was eight point one percent in the summer versus an EU average of five point nine percent, data from Eurostat indicate. The country is improving since its decade-long debt crisis, which concluded in 2018, but wages and living standards continue to be among the poorest in the EU.