The Greek Parliament Approves Disputed Labor Law Allowing Longer Working Days in Certain Circumstances

Government Building

Greece's parliament has given the green light a disputed labor reform that permits extended-length work shifts, in the face of widespread resistance and countrywide protests.

Government officials claimed the law will revamp the country's work laws, but opposition figures from the left-wing party labeled it as a "legislative monstrosity."

Main Provisions of the Recently Passed Labor Law

Under the freshly approved legislation, annual extra hours is capped at one hundred and fifty hours, while the standard forty-hour week continues as before.

The government emphasizes that the extended shift is optional, solely applies to the private sector, and can only be applied for up to 37 days each year.

Parliamentary Backing and Resistance

Thursday's vote was backed by MPs from the governing conservative political group, with the centre-left party – currently the main opposition – rejecting the legislation, while the progressive party abstained.

Worker organizations have staged two general strikes demanding the law's repeal this month that halted public transport and services to a standstill.

Official Defense and Worker Safeguards

The Labor Minister supported the bill, saying the changes bring in line national laws with current labor-market conditions, and alleged opposition leaders of misleading the public.

These regulations will give workers the choice to take on extra work with the same employer for 40% higher pay, while ensuring they will not be dismissed for declining extra hours.

The measure complies with European Union working-time regulations, which limit the mean week to forty-eight hours counting overtime but allow adjustments over 12 months, according to the government.

Critical Viewpoints and Labor Responses

But, opposition parties have charged the administration of eroding employee protections and "pushing the country back to a labor middle age." They say Greek workers already work longer hours than the majority of Europeans while receiving lower pay and still "face financial difficulties."

The public-sector union stated flexible working hours in practice mean "the end of the eight-hour day, the disruption of personal time and the legalisation of over-exploitation."

Previous Labor Changes and Economic Background

Last year, Greece enacted a six-day work schedule for certain industries in a attempt to stimulate the economy.

Recent laws, which came into effect at the beginning of July, allow workers to work up to forty-eight hours in a week as opposed to 40.

European Labor Data and National Economic Metrics

• Across the European Union in the previous year, the highest average hours were observed in the Hellenic Republic, then Bulgaria (39.0), Poland and Romania (38.8).
• The lowest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands (32.1), according to Eurostat.
• As of this year, the nation's official minimum wage stood at €968 a month, placing it in the bottom group among European nations.
• Joblessness, which had peaked at twenty-eight percent during the economic downturn, was 8.1% in the summer versus an EU average of five point nine percent, figures from Eurostat show.
• Greece is improving since its prolonged debt crisis, which ended in recent years, but salaries and quality of life continue to be among the poorest in the EU.