Why Greece wants a 13-hour workday

Greece is preparing to implement one of the most contentious labour reforms in the European Union — a measure that will, under certain conditions, permit employees in the private sector to work up to 13 hours a day.

The proposed legislation, which the Greek Parliament debated this week has drawn criticism from unions, opposition lawmakers, and civil society groups, all of whom argue that the measure undermines long-established worker protections.

While the government insists that the law enhances flexibility for both employers and employees, the plan has set off widespread strikes and demonstrations across the country, marking one of the largest waves of labour unrest in recent years.

What does the legislation say?

Under the proposed legislation, workers in certain sectors — including manufacturing, retail, agriculture, and hospitality — could work for up to 13 hours per day, but only on a limited number of occasions each year.

The law specifies that this extended workday can occur for a maximum of 37 days annually, translating to roughly three days per month.

Employees will remain bound by an overall cap of 48 working hours per week, calculated on a four-month average, with the general 40-hour workweek continuing as the standard.

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The total annual overtime permitted remains 150 hours, and workers performing overtime will receive an additional 40 per cent on top of their regular wages.

The government has highlighted that participation in the 13-hour schedule will be strictly voluntary and subject to the employee’s consent.

“The expression ‘13-hour workday’ implies that we will all work for 13 hours a day, all year round. Is it valid? Can it be done every day? No, is the answer. It can be done up to 37 days a year, i.e. on a pro rata basis of three days a month. Therefore, the term 13 hours is wrong and misleading. Secondly, it requires the agreement of the employee,” said Labour Minister Niki Kerameus in an interview with Skai TV.

According to the Labour Ministry, no employee can be dismissed for refusing to participate in the scheme. The legislation, Kerameus said, “gives a boost to the private sector” and “strengthens the employees.”

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The measure forms part of a broader labour reform package that also introduces other changes: employees can fragment their annual leave into more than two periods across the year; firms will be permitted to arrange flexible weekly schedules; and a new digital platform will allow for rapid hiring on short-term, two-day contracts.

These mechanisms, according to the government, aim to help companies meet “urgent operational needs” in a modernised labour market.

Supermarkets and certain industries are excluded from the scope of the 13-hour provision, which the government says primarily applies to seasonal or staff-constrained enterprises.

How have Greeks reacted?

The prospect of longer workdays has sparked a powerful backlash across Greece. The country was brought to a standstill by general strikes — two within a single month — organised by the nation’s major labour federations.

Public transport systems in Athens and Thessaloniki were halted, ferries remained in port, and many hospitals and schools saw staff walk out in protest.

“Flexible working hours” in practice means “the abolition of the eight-hour workday, the dissolution of every concept of family and social life and legalisation of overexploitation,” said the public sector union ADEDY in a statement.

The General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE), which represents private-sector employees, denounced what it described as “the further flexibilisation of our working conditions.”

The union called for “the full restoration of a framework of free collective bargaining – the only path toward a fundamental improvement in workers’ employment terms and pay.”

Another letter from GSEE to the Labour Ministry warned that the new policy “violates the daily rest rule of 11 hours and endangers the health and safety of workers.”

It added that obtaining genuine consent for overtime work “may be virtual (due to the inequality of employee – employer) and that the employee’s refusal may lead to unfair consequences (transfers, demotion, etc.).”

In Thessaloniki, Stefanos Chatziliadis, a senior member of ADEDY, voiced his opposition during a protest.

“Our health, both mental and physical, and the balance between personal and professional life are goods that cannot be replaced with money. Making it legal to work from morning till night is not normal and cannot be tolerated by our society. It is truly barbaric. It is inhuman.”

Many protesters fear that while the law claims to protect the right to refuse overtime, employees could face pressure to comply in practice.

What is the govt’s defence?

The government led by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis maintains that the reform is necessary to sustain Greece’s economic recovery and respond to chronic labour shortages.

The country’s workforce has been shrinking due to demographic decline, and many employers, especially in tourism and agriculture, report difficulties finding staff during peak seasons.

Since assuming office in 2019, Mitsotakis has pursued a pro-business agenda aimed at reshaping Greece’s labour market.

His administration previously allowed six-day working weeks in certain industries starting in 2024, offering a 40 per cent pay premium for the sixth day.

The prime minister has described these measures as part of a broader effort to make Greece’s economy more “competitive and flexible.”

Kerameus reiterated that the new provisions were designed with flexibility in mind. “The public sector is not affected at all by the bill,” she explained, pointing out that it was “about how we will support workers in the private sector.”

The minister also noted that she had “received, and rejected, collective agreement requests proposing even longer hours.”

Government officials argue that with unemployment at 8.1 per cent in August 2025, compared to 28 per cent at the peak of the financial crisis, the labour market now has room for negotiated flexibility.

Kerameus said that with unemployment levels at a “17-year low […], you can understand how much this strengthens the position of the employee.”

How is Greece’s economy faring?

Although Greece’s economy has recovered from its devastating debt crisis and the three bailout programs that followed, the gains have not translated into high living standards for most citizens.

Salaries remain among the lowest in the European Union, and the cost of living — especially for housing and food — continues to rise sharply.

According to the European Committee of Social Rights, nearly half of Greek households cannot afford basic necessities, and the country ranks second to last in the EU in purchasing power.

The minimum monthly wage, currently €880, while higher than it was before 2019, remains among the lowest in the bloc.

Labour statistics show that Greeks already work longer hours than most Europeans. Data from Eurostat indicates that the average Greek works 39.8 hours per week, compared with the EU average of 35.8 hours.

Roughly one in five Greeks works more than 45 hours per week — the highest proportion in the Union. OECD figures from 2023 placed Greece fifth in the world in annual working hours, behind only Colombia, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Chile.

The persistent gap between work intensity and living standards has fuelled resentment toward policies perceived as favouring employers.

Many workers are forced to take on multiple jobs to make ends meet, and unions argue that extending legal work hours will deepen inequality rather than alleviate it.

How has the Opposition in Parliament reacted?

Opposition parties across the spectrum have accused the government of undermining the foundations of fair employment.

Dimitrios Mantzos, a member of the main opposition Pasok party, said in parliament that the reform would “deregulate labour relations, heighten job insecurity and disrupt work-life balance.”

Efi Achtsioglou, an MP from the New Left party, was even more forceful.

“The mere fact that we are here discussing such a bill is unacceptable, it is shameful, it is backward. It is unthinkable that in 2025 we are still debating whether to legislate a 13-hour work day.”

Despite this opposition, the bill is widely expected to pass due to the ruling party’s parliamentary majority of 156 out of 300 seats.

The government insists the reform represents progress toward a more adaptable and modern economy, but critics see it as a rollback of rights won over decades of labour struggle.

Experts have also questioned the rationale of the move. Labour economists have warned that expanding work hours could worsen health outcomes, increase the likelihood of workplace accidents, and lead to burnout, ultimately damaging productivity.

Studies worldwide have shown that excessively long working days tend to reduce efficiency and diminish the quality of goods and services.

While some European nations have experimented with shorter workweeks to boost productivity and well-being, Greece is moving in the opposite direction, citing its unique economic challenges.

Union leaders see it as the culmination of a long-term effort by the government to weaken collective bargaining power.

Greece has limited labour inspection resources, leading unions to fear that employers could misuse “voluntary overtime” provisions without consequence.

“These regulations exacerbate job insecurity and reinforce the model of flexible and unprotected work,” the Greek General Confederation of Labour wrote in a formal objection submitted in late September.

With inputs from agencies