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The Greek parliament has given the green light a disputed work legislation that authorizes 13-hour working days, in the face of fierce resistance and countrywide protests.

The administration asserted the law will update Greek labor regulations, but critics from the progressive faction described it as a "regulatory disaster."

Main Provisions of the Recently Passed Labor Law

According to the newly enacted law, yearly extra hours is limited at one hundred and fifty hours, while the standard 40-hour workweek continues as before.

The government insists that the longer workday is elective, only affects the business sector, and can exclusively be used for up to thirty-seven days annually.

Parliamentary Support and Opposition

The recent ballot was supported by MPs from the governing conservative party, with the moderate faction – now the main opposition – rejecting the legislation, while the left-wing party abstained.

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

Official Defense and Employee Safeguards

The Labor Minister defended the legislation, stating the reforms bring in line national legislation with modern employment conditions, and accused critics of misinforming the citizens.

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

The measure complies with EU labor regulations, which limit the average week to forty-eight hours counting overtime but permit adjustments over 12 months, according to the government.

Opposition Perspectives and Labor Reactions

But, opposition parties have accused the government of eroding employee protections and "pushing the country back to a medieval work era." They say Greek workers already work longer hours than most EU citizens while earning less and still "struggle to make ends meet."

A major labor organization said variable shifts in reality mean "the abolition of the standard workday, the disruption of personal time and the authorization of excessive labor."

Previous Labor Changes and Financial Context

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

Recent legislation, which came into effect at the start of July, permit employees to labor up to 48 hours in a week as opposed to 40.

EU Labor Statistics and National Financial Indicators

• Across the EU in the previous year, the longest average hours were observed in Greece (39.8 hours), then Bulgaria, Poland and Romania (38.8).
• The shortest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands, according to Eurostat.
• As of January 2025, Greece's national base pay stood at nine hundred sixty-eight euros a month, placing it in the lower tier among European nations.
• Joblessness, which had reached a high at 28% during the financial crisis, was 8.1% in the summer versus an European mean of 5.9%, figures from the statistical office indicate.
• Greece is recovering since its prolonged financial troubles, which ended in recent years, but salaries and quality of life continue to be among the lowest in the EU.