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The Greek parliament has approved a contentious work legislation that permits extended-length work shifts, in the face of fierce resistance and countrywide strike actions.

The administration stated the measure will modernize the country's labor regulations, but opposition figures from the left-wing faction described it as a "regulatory disaster."

Key Elements of the New Work Legislation

According to the newly enacted law, annual overtime is limited at one hundred and fifty hours, while the regular forty-hour week continues as before.

The government emphasizes that the extended shift is elective, solely applies to the private sector, and can only be used for up to thirty-seven days annually.

Political Backing and Resistance

Thursday's vote was supported by lawmakers from the ruling conservative political group, with the moderate faction – now the primary opposition – voting against the legislation, while the left-wing group did not vote.

Labor unions have staged multiple protests demanding the law's repeal recently that brought public transport and public services to a standstill.

Government Defense and Employee Protections

The Labor Minister defended the legislation, claiming the changes align Greek legislation with current labor-market realities, and alleged critics of misleading the public.

The laws will give employees the choice to accept additional hours with the same employer for 40% higher compensation, while guaranteeing they will not be fired for declining extra hours.

The measure complies with European Union working-time rules, which limit the mean week to forty-eight hours including overtime but allow adjustments over 12 months, as stated by the administration.

Opposition Perspectives and Labor Reactions

But, critics have charged the government of weakening workers' rights and "pushing the nation back to a medieval work era." They argue local employees already put in more time than most Europeans while earning less and still "struggle to make ends meet."

A major labor organization said flexible working hours in practice mean "the end of the eight-hour day, the disruption of family and social life and the authorization of over-exploitation."

Previous Workplace Reforms and Economic Background

Last year, Greece enacted a six-day work schedule for specific industries in a attempt to boost economic growth.

New legislation, which came into effect at the start of July, permit employees to labor up to 48 hours in a week as opposed to forty.

EU Labor Statistics and National Financial Indicators

• Throughout the EU in the previous year, the highest average hours were recorded in Greece (39.8 hours), followed by Bulgaria (39.0), Poland and Romania (38.8).
• The shortest work hours in the bloc is in the Netherlands (32.1), according to Eurostat.
• Starting this year, Greece's national minimum wage was nine hundred sixty-eight euros a month, ranking it in the bottom group among European nations.
• Joblessness, which had reached a high at 28% during the financial crisis, was 8.1% in August compared with an European mean of 5.9%, data from Eurostat indicate.
• The country is improving since its prolonged debt crisis, which concluded in 2018, but wages and quality of life remain among the poorest in the EU.