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The Greek parliament has approved a disputed labor reform that permits 13-hour working days, despite strong opposition and nationwide protests.

The administration asserted the measure will revamp Greek labor regulations, but critics from the left-wing party labeled it as a "regulatory disaster."

Key Elements of the Recently Passed Labor Law

According to the newly enacted legislation, annual overtime is also at one hundred and fifty hours, while the standard 40-hour workweek continues as before.

The government emphasizes that the extended workday is elective, only affects the private sector, and can exclusively be applied for up to 37 days each year.

Political Backing and Opposition

The recent ballot was backed by MPs from the governing conservative political group, with the moderate faction – currently the main opposition – voting against the bill, while the progressive party abstained.

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

Government Justification and Worker Safeguards

The Labor Minister defended the legislation, stating the reforms align national laws with current labor-market realities, and accused opposition leaders of misinforming the citizens.

These regulations will give workers the option to accept extra work with the same employer for increased compensation, while guaranteeing they cannot be dismissed for declining extra hours.

The measure follows European Union working-time rules, which limit the mean workweek to 48 hours counting extra hours but permit flexibility over 12 months, according to the government.

Opposition Perspectives and Labor Reactions

However, opposition parties have charged the government of eroding employee protections and "pushing the country back to a medieval work era." They say local workers currently work longer hours than most EU citizens while receiving lower pay and still "struggle to make ends meet."

The public-sector union said flexible working hours in reality mean "the abolition of the eight-hour day, the destruction of family and social life and the authorization of over-exploitation."

Previous Workplace Reforms and Financial Background

Last year, the country introduced a six-day work schedule for specific sectors in a attempt to stimulate economic growth.

New legislation, which started at the beginning of the summer, allow workers to labor up to forty-eight hours in a workweek as opposed to 40.

EU Work Data and Greek Economic Indicators

• Across the European Union in the previous year, the highest working weeks were observed in the Hellenic Republic, followed by Bulgaria, Poland (38.9) and Romania (38.8).
• The shortest work hours in the bloc is in the Netherlands (32.1), according to Eurostat.
• Starting this year, the nation's official minimum wage stood at €968 a month, ranking it in the lower tier among European nations.
• Unemployment, which had peaked at 28% during the financial crisis, was 8.1% in August compared with an EU average of five point nine percent, figures from the statistical office indicate.
• The country is recovering since its prolonged financial troubles, which ended in recent years, but wages and quality of life remain among the poorest in the European Union.