• The Greek Parliament has given the green light to the possibility of private sector employees working 13 hours a day.
• The proposal is voluntary and comes with a 40 per cent pay increase, but for trade unions and opposition parties "it is a move towards exploitation".
• Previously, a longer working week had already been approved, with 6 working days out of 7, in certain sectors.

The Greek Parliament has passed, amid strikes and street protests, a contested labour law that allows employees to work up to 13 hours a day in the same job, for a maximum of 37 days per year. The government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis speaks of "modernising the labour market", while the opposition and trade unions denounce it as "a retreat to the times of industrial feudalism". The measure, backed by Labour Minister Niki Kerameus, received the support of deputies from Nea Dimokratia, the centre-right party in government, while Pasok, now the main opposition force, voted against it. Syriza, the left-wing party, abstained.

Kathimerini English Edition @ekathimerini

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ADEDY calls 24-hour nationwide strike for October 14 over labor bill dlvr.it/TNZPDQ

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Two general strikes, organised in October by public and private sector trade unions, brought transport and essential services to a standstill in protest against the measure. "The government is ushering in a true Middle Ages of labour," denounced Syriza leader Sokratis Famellos, while the public sector employees' association Adedy described the legislation as "the destruction of family life and the legalisation of excessive exploitation". Kerameus defended the measure, arguing that "the reforms bring Greece into line with modern labour market realities" and accusing the opposition of "misleading public opinion".

13 hours a day: opportunity or exploitation?

The minister explained that the measure "is voluntary, applies only to the private sector and can be implemented for a maximum of 37 days per year", adding that "workers who agree will be able to earn 40 per cent more, and no one can be dismissed for refusing to work overtime". The government stresses that the reform remains compliant with European rules, which set an average limit of 48 hours per week, including overtime, but allow a degree of flexibility over the course of the year. "We are giving workers the opportunity to put in extra hours with the same employer, without commuting and with a 40 per cent premium," Kerameus explained.

Reuters ✓ @Reuters

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Greece's parliament approved a bill allowing up to 13-hour workdays in the private sector, sparking protests from workers who say their rights are being eroded amid rising living costs and low wages reut.rs/4new94x

♥ 49💬 7 16 ott 2025 · Apri su X →

Critics, however, point out that Greek workers are already among the most hard-working in Europe: in 2024, the weekly average stood at 39.8 hours, the highest in the Union, ahead of Bulgaria and Poland. Yet wages remain among the lowest: the national minimum wage is 968 euros per month, according to Eurostat, far below the standards of Western European countries. Greece, which only a few years ago emerged from its prolonged debt crisis, currently records an unemployment rate of 8.1 per cent, still above the EU average of 5.9 per cent. And despite economic growth, many workers "are still struggling to make ends meet", as Famellos reminded Parliament. The new legislative package comes on top of the introduction of a six-day working week for certain industrial sectors, with the stated aim of "boosting productivity". But for the trade unions, it represents a step backwards on rights won through decades of struggle: "Flexibility," warns Adedy, "is just another word for exploitation".