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The Greek parliament has approved a contentious labor reform that permits extended-length work shifts, in the face of strong opposition and nationwide strike actions.

Government officials stated the law will update Greek work laws, but critics from the left-wing faction described it as a "regulatory disaster."

Key Provisions of the Recently Passed Labor Law

Under the freshly approved legislation, annual overtime is capped at one hundred and fifty hours, while the regular 40-hour workweek stays unchanged.

The government insists that the extended workday is voluntary, solely affects the private sector, and can only be implemented for up to 37 days annually.

Political Support and Resistance

Thursday's vote was backed by MPs from the governing conservative political group, with the centre-left faction – now the primary opposition – rejecting the legislation, while the left-wing group abstained.

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

Official Defense and Employee Safeguards

The Labor Minister supported the bill, stating the changes align Greek laws with current labor-market conditions, and alleged opposition leaders of misinforming the public.

These regulations will provide workers the choice to accept additional hours with the current company for 40% higher pay, while guaranteeing they cannot be fired for refusing overtime.

This complies with European Union labor rules, which limit the mean workweek to 48 hours counting overtime but permit adjustments over 12 months, according to the government.

Opposition Perspectives and Union Reactions

However, critics have charged the government of eroding employee protections and "pushing the country back to a labor middle age." They argue local workers currently work longer hours than most EU citizens while receiving lower pay and still "face financial difficulties."

A major labor organization said flexible working hours in reality mean "the abolition of the eight-hour day, the disruption of family and social life and the legalisation of excessive labor."

Recent Workplace Reforms and Economic Context

Last year, the country enacted a six-day working week for certain industries in a bid to stimulate economic growth.

Recent laws, which came into effect at the beginning of the summer, allow workers to work up to 48 hours in a workweek as opposed to forty.

EU Work Statistics and National Financial Indicators

• Throughout the EU in the previous year, the longest working weeks were recorded in Greece (39.8 hours), then Bulgaria (39.0), Poland and Romania (38.8).
• The lowest work hours in the union is in the Netherlands, as per Eurostat.
• Starting January 2025, the nation's national minimum wage stood at €968 a month, ranking it in the lower tier among European nations.
• Unemployment, which had peaked at 28% during the economic downturn, was 8.1% in the summer versus an EU average of 5.9%, data from Eurostat show.
• Greece is improving since its decade-long financial troubles, which concluded in recent years, but salaries and living standards continue to be among the poorest in the European Union.