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Government Building

Greece's legislature has given the green light a hotly debated labor reform that enables 13-hour working days, in the face of fierce opposition and nationwide protests.

The administration claimed the law will revamp Greek work laws, but critics from the left-wing party described it as a "regulatory disaster."

Main Provisions of the New Work Legislation

Under the newly enacted law, yearly overtime is also at 150 hours, while the regular 40-hour workweek continues as before.

Officials emphasizes that the extended workday is optional, solely affects the business sector, and can exclusively be implemented for up to 37 days each year.

Parliamentary Support and Opposition

Thursday's vote was backed by MPs from the governing centre-right party, with the moderate party – currently the main opposition – rejecting the legislation, while the progressive party did not vote.

Labor unions have organized multiple protests demanding the law's repeal recently that halted transportation and services to a stop.

Government Defense and Employee Safeguards

The Labor Minister defended the bill, stating the reforms bring in line Greek laws with modern employment conditions, and alleged opposition leaders of misleading the citizens.

These regulations will give workers the option to take on extra work with the current company for increased pay, while guaranteeing they cannot be fired for refusing extra hours.

This complies with EU labor rules, which limit the average week to forty-eight hours including overtime but allow adjustments over a year, according to the government.

Opposition Perspectives and Labor Reactions

However, opposition parties have charged the government of eroding employee protections and "pushing the nation back to a medieval work era." They say local workers currently work longer hours than most EU citizens while receiving lower pay and still "struggle to make ends meet."

A major labor organization stated flexible working hours in reality mean "the abolition of the standard workday, the destruction of family and social life and the legalisation of excessive labor."

Recent Labor Reforms and Economic Context

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

New 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 Work Statistics and National Economic Metrics

• Throughout the European Union in the previous year, the highest average hours were recorded in Greece (39.8 hours), followed by Bulgaria, Poland (38.9) and Romania (38.8).
• The shortest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands (32.1), as per EU statistics.
• Starting this year, the nation's official minimum wage was €968 a month, ranking it in the bottom group among European nations.
• Unemployment, which had reached a high at 28% during the financial crisis, was 8.1% in August versus an EU average of 5.9%, figures from the statistical office indicate.
• Greece is improving since its decade-long debt crisis, which concluded in recent years, but salaries and quality of life remain among the poorest in the EU.