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Greece's parliament has approved a hotly debated labor reform that permits extended-length working days, in the face of strong opposition and nationwide strike actions.

Government officials stated the law will revamp the country's labor regulations, but critics from the left-wing party labeled it as a "legislative monstrosity."

Key Provisions of the New Work Legislation

According to the newly enacted legislation, annual extra hours is capped at one hundred and fifty hours, while the regular forty-hour week remains in place.

Officials insists that the longer workday is voluntary, solely applies to the private sector, and can exclusively be used for up to 37 days annually.

Political Support and Resistance

The recent ballot was supported by MPs from the governing centre-right political group, with the centre-left faction – now the primary resistance – rejecting the bill, while the left-wing group did not vote.

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

Government Defense and Worker Safeguards

The Labor Minister supported the bill, saying the changes align national laws with current labor-market realities, and accused opposition leaders of misleading the public.

The laws will give workers the option to take on extra work with the current company for 40% higher pay, while guaranteeing they will not be dismissed for refusing overtime.

The measure follows European Union working-time regulations, which cap the average workweek to forty-eight hours counting overtime but permit adjustments over 12 months, according to the government.

Opposition Perspectives and Labor Reactions

But, critics have charged the administration of eroding employee protections and "driving the nation back to a medieval work era." They say local workers currently work longer hours than most Europeans while receiving lower pay and still "struggle to make ends meet."

The public-sector union stated variable shifts in practice mean "the end of the standard workday, the disruption of personal time and the legalisation of over-exploitation."

Recent Workplace Changes and Economic Background

Last year, Greece enacted a six-day work schedule for specific industries in a bid to boost the economy.

Recent legislation, which came into effect at the beginning of July, allow employees to labor up to forty-eight hours in a week as instead of forty.

EU Labor Statistics and National Financial Metrics

• Across the EU in the previous year, the longest average hours were recorded in Greece (39.8 hours), then Bulgaria, Poland and Romania.
• The shortest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands (32.1), according to EU statistics.
• Starting this year, the nation's national base pay was nine hundred sixty-eight euros a month, placing it in the bottom group among European nations.
• Unemployment, which had peaked at 28% during the financial crisis, was eight point one percent in the summer versus an EU average of 5.9%, figures from the statistical office 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 European Union.