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The Greek parliament has approved a disputed labor reform that authorizes extended-length working days, despite fierce opposition and countrywide strike actions.

Government officials asserted the measure will update the country's labor regulations, but critics from the progressive party labeled it as a "regulatory disaster."

Key Elements of the New Labor Law

Under the newly enacted law, annual extra hours is limited at 150 hours, while the standard 40-hour workweek stays unchanged.

The government emphasizes that the extended shift is voluntary, only applies to the business sector, and can only be implemented for up to 37 days annually.

Parliamentary Support and Resistance

Thursday's ballot was backed by lawmakers from the ruling conservative party, with the moderate faction – currently the main resistance – voting against the legislation, while the left-wing group did not vote.

Labor unions have staged two general strikes calling for the bill's withdrawal this month that halted transportation and public services to a stop.

Government Justification and Employee Safeguards

A senior official defended the bill, stating the changes bring in line Greek laws with modern labor-market realities, and accused critics of misleading the public.

The laws will give workers the option to accept additional hours with the same employer for increased pay, while guaranteeing they cannot be dismissed for declining overtime.

The measure follows European Union working-time rules, which cap the mean workweek to forty-eight hours including overtime but permit adjustments over a year, as stated by the government.

Opposition Viewpoints and Labor Responses

However, opposition parties have accused the government of weakening workers' rights and "pushing the nation back to a medieval work era." They say local workers already work longer hours than most Europeans while earning less and still "face financial difficulties."

A major labor organization stated variable shifts in practice mean "the end of the eight-hour day, the destruction of personal time and the legalisation of over-exploitation."

Previous Labor Changes and Economic Background

In 2024, the country introduced a six-day working week for specific sectors in a attempt to stimulate economic growth.

New legislation, which came into effect at the start of July, permit employees to work up to 48 hours in a workweek as opposed to 40.

European Labor Statistics and National Financial Indicators

• Across the European Union in the previous year, the longest average hours were observed in the Hellenic Republic, then Bulgaria, Poland and Romania (38.8).
• The shortest working week in the union is in the Netherlands, according to Eurostat.
• As of this year, the nation's national minimum wage was €968 a month, placing it in the bottom group among EU countries.
• Unemployment, which had peaked at twenty-eight percent during the economic downturn, was eight point one percent in August versus an EU average of five point nine percent, figures from the statistical office show.
• Greece is improving since its prolonged financial troubles, which concluded in 2018, but wages and living standards continue to be among the poorest in the European Union.