🔗 Share this article Greece Passes Debated Workplace Law Allowing 13-Hour Workdays in Specific Situations Government Building Greece's parliament has approved a hotly debated labor reform that permits 13-hour working days, despite widespread resistance and countrywide strike actions. The administration stated the measure will update Greek work laws, but critics from the progressive party described it as a "legislative monstrosity." Main Provisions of the New Labor Law According to the newly enacted legislation, yearly extra hours is capped at one hundred and fifty hours, while the regular 40-hour workweek stays unchanged. The government maintains that the extended workday is elective, solely applies to the business sector, and can only be implemented for up to thirty-seven days each year. Political Support and Opposition Thursday's vote was backed by MPs from the governing centre-right party, with the moderate faction – now the main opposition – rejecting the bill, while the left-wing group abstained. Labor unions have organized two general strikes demanding the bill's withdrawal this month that brought public transport and services to a standstill. Official Justification and Employee Protections The Labor Minister defended the legislation, stating the changes align national laws with modern employment conditions, and alleged critics of misinforming the public. The laws will provide employees the option to take on additional hours with the same employer for increased pay, while ensuring they cannot be fired for refusing extra hours. This complies with EU working-time regulations, which cap the average week to 48 hours including overtime but allow flexibility over 12 months, according to the administration. Opposition Viewpoints and Labor Reactions However, critics have charged the administration of weakening employee protections and "driving the nation back to a medieval work era." They say Greek employees currently put in more time than the majority of Europeans while receiving lower pay and still "struggle to make ends meet." A major labor organization said flexible working hours in reality mean "the abolition of the eight-hour day, the destruction of personal time and the authorization of over-exploitation." Recent Labor Reforms and Economic Background Last year, Greece enacted a six-day working week for specific industries in a bid to stimulate economic growth. Recent laws, which started at the start of July, allow employees to work up to forty-eight hours in a workweek as instead of 40. European Labor Statistics and National Financial Metrics Throughout the European Union in 2024, the highest working weeks were observed in the Hellenic Republic, then Bulgaria (39.0), Poland (38.9) and Romania (38.8). The lowest work hours in the union is in the Netherlands, as per Eurostat. Starting January 2025, Greece's official minimum wage stood at €968 a month, ranking it in the lower tier among EU countries. Joblessness, which had peaked at twenty-eight percent during the economic downturn, was eight point one percent in August versus an European mean of 5.9%, data from the statistical office indicate. Greece is improving since its prolonged financial troubles, which concluded in 2018, but salaries and living standards remain among the poorest in the EU.