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Government Building

Greece's parliament has ratified a hotly debated labor reform that authorizes extended-length work shifts, in the face of fierce opposition and countrywide strike actions.

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

Key Elements of the Recently Passed Labor Law

Under the newly enacted legislation, annual extra hours is also at one hundred and fifty hours, while the regular forty-hour workweek stays unchanged.

Officials insists that the extended workday is optional, only applies to the private sector, and can exclusively be implemented for up to thirty-seven days annually.

Parliamentary Support and Resistance

Thursday's vote was backed by lawmakers from the governing centre-right political group, with the moderate party – now the primary opposition – rejecting the bill, while the progressive group did not vote.

Labor unions have organized two general strikes calling for the law's repeal this month that halted public transport and services to a standstill.

Government Justification and Worker Protections

The Labor Minister defended the bill, claiming the reforms bring in line Greek legislation with current employment realities, and alleged critics of misleading the public.

The laws will give workers the option to take on extra work with the same employer for 40% higher compensation, while ensuring they will not be fired for refusing extra hours.

The measure complies with European Union labor rules, which cap the average week to forty-eight hours counting overtime but permit adjustments over a year, according to the administration.

Critical Viewpoints and Labor Reactions

However, critics have accused the administration of eroding employee protections and "driving the nation back to a medieval work era." They say local workers currently put in more time than most Europeans while earning less and still "face financial difficulties."

A major labor organization stated flexible working hours in practice mean "the abolition of the eight-hour day, the destruction of personal time and the authorization of over-exploitation."

Previous Labor Changes and Economic Background

Last year, the country enacted a six-day work schedule for certain sectors in a attempt to stimulate the economy.

Recent legislation, which came into effect at the beginning of July, allow employees to work up to 48 hours in a week as opposed to 40.

European Work Data and Greek Economic Indicators

• Throughout the EU in the previous year, the longest average hours were observed in the Hellenic Republic, then Bulgaria (39.0), Poland (38.9) and Romania.
• The shortest work hours in the union is in the Netherlands (32.1), according to EU statistics.
• As of this year, Greece's national base pay was nine hundred sixty-eight euros a month, ranking it in the bottom group among European nations.
• Unemployment, which had peaked at 28% during the economic downturn, was eight point one percent in the summer compared with an European mean of 5.9%, figures from Eurostat indicate.
• The country is improving since its decade-long financial troubles, which concluded in recent years, but salaries and quality of life remain among the poorest in the European Union.