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Greece's parliament has given the green light a hotly debated work legislation that authorizes extended-length working days, in the face of strong opposition and nationwide protests.

Government officials asserted the law will revamp the country's work laws, but opposition figures from the left-wing party described it as a "regulatory disaster."

Key Elements of the New Work Legislation

Under the freshly approved law, annual overtime is also at one hundred and fifty hours, while the standard 40-hour workweek remains in place.

Officials emphasizes that the extended workday is optional, solely affects the private sector, and can only be used for up to 37 days each year.

Political Backing and Opposition

The recent vote was backed by lawmakers from the ruling conservative political group, with the centre-left faction – now the primary opposition – rejecting the bill, while the progressive party did not vote.

Labor unions have staged two general strikes demanding the law's repeal recently that halted public transport and services to a stop.

Government Justification and Employee Safeguards

A senior official defended the bill, stating the reforms align Greek laws with current employment conditions, and alleged opposition leaders of misinforming the public.

The laws will provide workers the choice to accept additional hours with the same employer for increased compensation, while ensuring they cannot be fired for declining overtime.

This follows European Union labor rules, which limit the mean week to forty-eight hours including overtime but permit flexibility over 12 months, as stated by the government.

Critical Viewpoints and Union Responses

But, critics have charged the administration of eroding employee protections and "driving the country back to a medieval work era." They argue Greek workers already work longer hours than most Europeans while receiving lower pay and still "struggle to make ends meet."

The public-sector union said flexible working hours in practice mean "the end of the standard workday, the destruction of family and social life and the legalisation of over-exploitation."

Recent Labor Changes and Financial Context

Last year, the country introduced a six-day work schedule for certain sectors in a bid to boost the economy.

Recent laws, which came into effect at the beginning of July, permit employees to work up to 48 hours in a workweek as instead of forty.

European Labor Statistics and Greek Financial Metrics

• Throughout the EU in the previous year, the highest average hours were observed in the Hellenic Republic, then Bulgaria (39.0), Poland (38.9) and Romania (38.8).
• The shortest working week in the union is in the Netherlands, as per Eurostat.
• As of January 2025, Greece's official minimum wage was €968 a month, ranking it in the bottom group among EU countries.
• Joblessness, which had reached a high at 28% during the economic downturn, was 8.1% in the summer versus an European mean of five point nine percent, data from Eurostat show.
• The country is recovering since its prolonged financial troubles, which concluded in 2018, but wages and quality of life continue to be among the lowest in the European Union.