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Government Building

The Greek parliament has approved a hotly debated labor reform that permits extended-length working days, in the face of fierce opposition and countrywide strike actions.

Government officials asserted the measure will update Greek labor regulations, but opposition figures from the progressive party described it as a "harmful law."

Key Provisions of the Recently Passed Work Legislation

Under the newly enacted legislation, annual extra hours is capped at one hundred and fifty hours, while the regular 40-hour workweek continues as before.

The government emphasizes that the longer workday is voluntary, only applies to the private sector, and can exclusively be used for up to 37 days annually.

Political Backing and Opposition

The recent ballot was supported by MPs from the ruling centre-right political group, with the moderate faction – currently the main resistance – voting against the legislation, while the left-wing party abstained.

Worker organizations have organized multiple protests demanding the bill's withdrawal this month that brought transportation and services to a standstill.

Official Justification and Employee Safeguards

The Labor Minister supported the bill, saying the reforms align Greek laws with current employment realities, and alleged critics of misleading the public.

These regulations will give employees the choice to accept extra work with the same employer for 40% higher compensation, while ensuring they will not be dismissed for declining overtime.

This complies with European Union working-time regulations, which limit the average workweek to 48 hours counting extra hours but allow flexibility over a year, as stated by the government.

Critical Viewpoints and Labor Responses

However, opposition parties have accused the government of weakening employee protections and "driving the nation back to a labor middle age." They say Greek employees currently work longer hours than the majority of EU citizens while receiving lower pay and still "face financial difficulties."

A major labor organization said flexible working hours in practice mean "the end of the standard workday, the disruption of family and social life and the legalisation of over-exploitation."

Previous Workplace Changes and Financial Background

Last year, Greece introduced a six-day work schedule for certain sectors in a bid to boost the economy.

New legislation, which came into effect at the start of the summer, allow workers to labor up to 48 hours in a week as opposed to 40.

European Labor Statistics and National Financial Indicators

• Throughout the European Union in the previous year, the highest average hours were recorded in Greece (39.8 hours), followed by Bulgaria, Poland and Romania.
• The shortest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands, as per EU statistics.
• As of this year, Greece's official minimum wage stood at €968 a month, ranking it in the bottom group among EU countries.
• Unemployment, which had peaked at 28% during the financial crisis, was eight point one percent in August versus an European mean of five point nine percent, figures from the statistical office show.
• The country is recovering since its prolonged financial troubles, which concluded in recent years, but wages and living standards remain among the lowest in the EU.