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The Greek legislature has approved a disputed labor reform that permits extended-length work shifts, in the face of strong resistance and countrywide strike actions.

The administration stated the measure will revamp the country's labor regulations, but opposition figures from the left-wing faction labeled it as a "harmful law."

Key Elements of the New Work Legislation

According to the newly enacted legislation, yearly extra hours is also at 150 hours, while the standard forty-hour week remains in place.

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

Parliamentary Support and Opposition

The recent vote was backed by lawmakers from the governing centre-right political group, with the centre-left faction – now the primary resistance – voting against the legislation, while the left-wing group abstained.

Labor unions have staged two general strikes demanding the bill's withdrawal recently that brought public transport and public services to a standstill.

Government Justification and Worker Safeguards

The Labor Minister supported the bill, saying the changes bring in line national laws with modern employment realities, and accused critics of misinforming the public.

The laws will provide workers the option to take on extra work with the current company for 40% higher pay, while guaranteeing they cannot be dismissed for refusing overtime.

This follows EU labor regulations, which cap the average workweek to forty-eight hours counting extra hours but permit adjustments over 12 months, as stated by the government.

Critical Viewpoints and Union Reactions

However, critics have accused the government of weakening workers' rights and "pushing the nation back to a labor middle age." They argue Greek workers already put in more time than most Europeans while earning less 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 disruption of personal time and the authorization of over-exploitation."

Previous Workplace Reforms and Economic Context

Last year, Greece introduced a six-day working week for certain industries in a bid to stimulate the economy.

Recent legislation, which came into effect at the start of July, permit workers to labor up to forty-eight hours in a workweek as instead of forty.

European Work Data and National Economic Indicators

• Throughout the European Union in 2024, the longest working weeks were observed in Greece (39.8 hours), then Bulgaria (39.0), Poland and Romania.
• The shortest working week in the union is in the Netherlands, as per Eurostat.
• As of this year, the nation's national minimum wage was €968 a month, ranking it in the lower tier among European nations.
• Joblessness, which had peaked at 28% during the financial crisis, was eight point one percent in August compared with an EU average of 5.9%, data from Eurostat indicate.
• The country is improving since its decade-long financial troubles, which ended in recent years, but salaries and quality of life continue to be among the poorest in the European Union.