A controversial move by the neighbor: Daily working hours increased to 13 hours.

17.10.2025 18:34

The Greek Parliament has approved a bill that allows working hours to be increased to up to 13 hours a day, despite fierce opposition and protests. The amendment had already led to two major strikes across the country this month.

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The Greek Parliament has approved a bill that allows the private sector to increase the current daily working hours from 8 to up to 13 hours. The Greek government argues that the change will make the labor market more flexible and efficient.

The change, which will cause many private sector employees, from factory workers to cashiers and hotel staff, to work longer shifts, will make Greece the first EU member country to implement daily working hours of up to 13 hours.

ONLY AFFECTING THE PRIVATE SECTOR

The change, which will be a voluntary system and will only affect the private sector, can be applied for a maximum of three days a month and a maximum of 37 working days a year. The law approved by Parliament will also protect employees from being fired if they refuse to work overtime.

Additionally, the law will grant employers more flexibility in short-term hiring and will allow employees to work four days a week throughout the year by mutual agreement with their employers. The law was passed by a majority vote in the 300-seat parliament.

WEEKLY 48-HOUR LIMIT WILL NOT BE EXCEEDED IN ACCORDANCE WITH EU REGULATIONS

Under the new implementation, the working time will not exceed the weekly limit of 48 hours in accordance with EU regulations. While the standard working hours will continue to be 40 hours per week, overtime will be compensated at a rate of 40% more. The new implementation is expected to contribute to solving the shortage of skilled workers due to Greece's declining and aging population.

THE LAW HAS CAUSED STRIKES TWICE

Unions argue that the law takes away workers' bargaining power in a country where informal work is widespread and average wages are low. The change that allows the private sector to extend working hours has led to nationwide protests and two major strikes this month.

LAST YEAR, A SIX-DAY WORKING WEEK WAS INTRODUCED

Greece is among the countries with the highest working hours in Europe, with an average weekly working time of about 40 hours. Weekly working hours are around 34 hours in Germany and 32 hours in the Netherlands. Last year, Greece also introduced a six-day working week for certain sectors to promote economic growth.

While Greece has recovered from the debt crisis between 2009-2018 with years of austerity policies, the recent improvements have not been enough to bring salaries back to pre-crisis levels. According to Eurostat data, the purchasing power of the Greek people is among the lowest in the European Union.