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Greece's parliament has given the green light a disputed work legislation that enables 13-hour work shifts, in the face of widespread opposition and nationwide strike actions.

The administration claimed the law will modernize Greek work laws, but opposition figures from the left-wing faction described it as a "regulatory disaster."

Key Provisions of the Recently Passed Labor Law

According to the newly enacted legislation, yearly extra hours is capped at one hundred and fifty hours, while the regular forty-hour workweek stays unchanged.

The government maintains that the extended shift is optional, solely applies to the business sector, and can only be used for up to 37 days annually.

Political Support and Opposition

The recent vote was backed by MPs from the governing conservative political group, with the moderate party – currently the main opposition – rejecting the legislation, while the left-wing group abstained.

Labor unions have staged multiple protests demanding the law's repeal this month that halted transportation and services to a standstill.

Government Justification and Employee Safeguards

The Labor Minister defended the legislation, claiming the changes bring in line Greek laws with current employment conditions, and alleged opposition leaders of misinforming the citizens.

These regulations will provide workers the choice to accept additional hours with the same employer for 40% higher compensation, while ensuring they will not be fired for declining overtime.

This complies with European Union labor rules, which cap the average workweek to forty-eight hours including overtime but allow adjustments over a year, according to the administration.

Opposition Viewpoints and Union Reactions

However, critics have accused the government of weakening employee protections and "pushing the country back to a medieval work era." They argue local workers currently put in more time than most Europeans while receiving lower pay and still "face financial difficulties."

The public-sector union said variable shifts in reality mean "the abolition of the eight-hour day, the destruction of personal time and the legalisation of over-exploitation."

Previous Labor Changes and Financial Context

Last year, Greece enacted a six-day working week for certain sectors in a attempt to boost the economy.

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

European Labor Data and Greek Economic Indicators

• Across the EU in 2024, the longest average hours were observed in the Hellenic Republic, followed by Bulgaria, Poland and Romania.
• The lowest work hours in the bloc is in the Netherlands (32.1), according to Eurostat.
• As of January 2025, the nation's national base pay was nine hundred sixty-eight euros a month, placing it in the lower tier among EU countries.
• Joblessness, which had peaked at twenty-eight percent during the economic downturn, was 8.1% in the summer compared with an EU average of 5.9%, data from the statistical office show.
• Greece is improving since its decade-long debt crisis, which ended in 2018, but wages and living standards continue to be among the lowest in the European Union.