Greece has passed a controversial labor reform despite nationwide protests and union outrage<\/p>\n
Greece\u2019s parliament has approved a government-backed reform that lets employers extend working days to 13 hours under certain conditions. The move has sparked mass protests from workers already struggling with a cost-of-living crisis.
\nThe legislation, passed by the government majority, expands the current eight-hour day. The opposition accused the ruling party of eroding labor rights and \u201cpushing the country back to the Middle Ages,\u201d with some lawmakers calling the bill a \u201clegislative monstrosity.\u201d According to Eurostat, Greeks already work the most in the EU, averaging 40 hours a week compared to 35 across the bloc.
\nThe government says the reform will modernize labor laws and insists that longer shifts will remain optional, apply only to the private sector, and will be limited to 37 days a year. Officials argue the change allows employees to work extra for the same employer instead of juggling multiple part-time jobs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
General strike in Athens, Greece, on October 14, 2025.<\/p>\n
\u00a9\u00a0Getty Images \/ Milos Bicanski \/ Contributor <\/p>\n
Labor unions, however, have denounced the law as a blow to workers\u2019 rights amid stagnant wages and soaring living costs. They have already staged two general strikes this month, the latest of which was on Tuesday. The public-sector union ADEDY warned that the measure amounted to \u201cthe abolition of the eight-hour day, the destruction of family and social life, and the legalization of over-exploitation.\u201d\u00a0
\n\u201cWhen the rest of Europe is discussing shorter hours, in Greece we\u2019re increasing them,\u201d a Greek bartender told Reuters, noting his rent had doubled in two years.<\/p>\n
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Union leaders say the reform strips workers of negotiating power in a country plagued by undeclared labor and low average wages.
\n\u201cYou can\u2019t really refuse; they always find ways to impose what they want,\u201d a 46-year-old construction worker protesting in Thessaloniki this week told AFP.
\nGreece is still recovering from its decade-long debt crisis, which ended in 2018 after years of austerity that wiped out a quarter of its economy. Wages remain below pre-crisis levels, and Greeks\u2019 purchasing power is among the lowest in the EU, according to Eurostat. In 2024, the government introduced a six-day work week in certain sectors to boost economic growth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Greece has passed a controversial labor reform despite nationwide protests and union outrage Greece\u2019s parliament has approved a government-backed reform that lets employers extend working days to 13 hours under…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20617,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t