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Greece's parliament has approved a disputed labor reform that permits 13-hour work shifts, despite fierce resistance and nationwide protests.

Government officials claimed the measure will revamp Greek work laws, but opposition figures from the left-wing party labeled it as a "harmful law."

Main Provisions of the Recently Passed Labor Law

Under the newly enacted law, annual overtime is limited at one hundred and fifty hours, while the standard 40-hour workweek stays unchanged.

The government maintains that the extended workday is optional, solely applies to the private sector, and can only be applied for up to 37 days annually.

Political Support and Opposition

The recent vote was backed by MPs from the ruling centre-right political group, with the centre-left faction – currently the main opposition – voting against the bill, while the left-wing party did not vote.

Worker organizations have organized multiple protests calling for the bill's withdrawal this month that halted transportation and public services to a standstill.

Government Justification and Employee Safeguards

A senior official supported the legislation, saying the changes align national legislation with modern employment conditions, and alleged opposition leaders of misinforming the public.

These regulations will provide employees the choice to accept extra work with the current company for 40% higher compensation, while guaranteeing they cannot be fired for declining extra hours.

This follows EU working-time rules, which cap the average week to 48 hours counting extra hours but permit adjustments over a year, according to the administration.

Critical Viewpoints and Union Reactions

But, opposition parties have accused the administration of eroding workers' rights and "driving the nation back to a labor middle age." They argue Greek workers already work longer hours than most EU citizens while receiving lower pay and still "struggle to make ends meet."

The public-sector union stated variable shifts in reality mean "the abolition of the eight-hour day, the destruction of family and social life and the legalisation of excessive labor."

Previous Workplace Reforms and Financial Background

Last year, Greece enacted a six-day working week for specific sectors in a attempt to boost economic growth.

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

EU Labor Data and Greek Financial Metrics

• Throughout the EU in 2024, the longest average hours were observed in the Hellenic Republic, followed by Bulgaria (39.0), Poland and Romania.
• The lowest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands (32.1), as per Eurostat.
• Starting this year, Greece's national minimum wage was nine hundred sixty-eight euros a month, ranking it in the lower tier among EU countries.
• Unemployment, which had peaked at twenty-eight percent during the financial crisis, was 8.1% in the summer versus an European mean of 5.9%, data from Eurostat show.
• 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.