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The Greek parliament has approved a hotly debated labor reform that permits 13-hour working days, in the face of widespread resistance and nationwide protests.

The administration claimed the law will revamp the country's labor regulations, but critics from the progressive faction labeled it as a "regulatory disaster."

Key Provisions of the Recently Passed Labor Law

According to the newly enacted legislation, annual overtime is limited at one hundred and fifty hours, while the standard 40-hour week stays unchanged.

Officials insists that the longer workday is elective, only affects the business sector, and can only be implemented for up to thirty-seven days each year.

Parliamentary Support and Resistance

The recent ballot was supported by lawmakers from the governing conservative party, with the moderate party – currently the main opposition – voting against the bill, while the left-wing party did not vote.

Labor unions have organized multiple protests calling for the bill's withdrawal recently that brought public transport and public services to a stop.

Government Justification and Employee Protections

The Labor Minister defended the bill, saying the reforms align Greek legislation with modern labor-market conditions, and alleged opposition leaders of misinforming the public.

The laws will provide employees the option to take on extra work with the current company for increased pay, while ensuring they will not be fired for declining overtime.

This complies with European Union labor rules, which limit the mean week to forty-eight hours counting overtime but allow adjustments over a year, according to the administration.

Opposition Viewpoints and Union Responses

But, opposition parties have charged the government of eroding employee protections and "pushing the nation back to a labor middle age." They argue local workers currently work longer hours than most Europeans while earning less and still "struggle to make ends meet."

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

Recent Labor Changes and Financial Background

Last year, Greece introduced a six-day working week for certain industries in a attempt to stimulate the economy.

Recent laws, which started at the start of July, allow workers to labor up to 48 hours in a week as instead of 40.

EU Labor Data and Greek Financial Indicators

• Across the EU in 2024, the longest working weeks were recorded in Greece (39.8 hours), followed by Bulgaria (39.0), Poland and Romania (38.8).
• The lowest working week in the union is in the Netherlands, as per EU statistics.
• Starting this year, Greece's national base pay stood at €968 a month, ranking it in the bottom group among European nations.
• Joblessness, which had peaked at 28% during the financial crisis, was eight point one percent in the summer versus an EU average of 5.9%, data from the statistical office show.
• The country is recovering since its prolonged debt crisis, which ended in 2018, but salaries and quality of life continue to be among the lowest in the European Union.