🔗 Share this article The Greek Parliament Enacts Disputed Labor Law Authorizing 13-Hour Working Days in Certain Circumstances Government Building The Greek parliament has ratified a contentious work legislation that enables 13-hour working days, despite fierce opposition and nationwide protests. Government officials stated the law will revamp Greek labor regulations, but critics from the left-wing faction labeled it as a "harmful law." Key Provisions of the New Labor Law According to the newly enacted legislation, yearly overtime is limited at 150 hours, while the regular 40-hour week stays unchanged. Officials insists that the extended shift is optional, solely affects the private sector, and can exclusively be applied for up to 37 days annually. Parliamentary Backing and Resistance The recent ballot was backed by MPs from the ruling conservative party, with the centre-left party – currently the main resistance – voting against the bill, while the left-wing group did not vote. Worker organizations have organized multiple protests calling for the bill's withdrawal this month that halted transportation and services to a stop. Government Justification and Employee Protections The Labor Minister supported the bill, stating the reforms bring in line Greek legislation with modern labor-market conditions, and accused critics of misleading the public. These regulations will give employees the option to accept extra work with the same employer for 40% higher pay, while ensuring they will not be dismissed for refusing overtime. This complies with EU labor regulations, which limit the mean workweek to 48 hours counting extra hours but permit adjustments over a year, as stated by the administration. Opposition Viewpoints and Union Responses However, critics have accused the administration of eroding employee protections and "driving the nation back to a medieval work era." They say Greek employees currently put in more time than most Europeans while receiving lower pay and still "struggle to make ends meet." A major labor organization stated variable shifts in reality mean "the end of the eight-hour day, the destruction of family and social life and the legalisation of over-exploitation." Recent Workplace Reforms and Economic Context Last year, Greece introduced a six-day work schedule for specific industries in a bid to stimulate economic growth. Recent legislation, which came into effect at the start of July, allow employees to work up to forty-eight hours in a workweek as opposed to 40. EU Labor Data and National Financial Indicators Across the EU in the previous year, the highest working weeks were observed in the Hellenic Republic, followed by Bulgaria (39.0), Poland and Romania (38.8). The shortest work hours in the union is in the Netherlands (32.1), as per EU statistics. Starting this year, the nation's official base pay was €968 a month, ranking it in the bottom group among European nations. Joblessness, which had peaked at twenty-eight percent during the economic downturn, was eight point one percent in the summer versus an EU average of five point nine percent, figures from Eurostat indicate. The country is improving since its decade-long debt crisis, which ended in 2018, but salaries and quality of life continue to be among the lowest in the EU.