On October 14, 2025, Greece found itself at a standstill as tens of thousands of workers from both the public and private sectors staged a massive 24-hour strike. The action, which swept through Athens, Thessaloniki, and other major cities, was a direct response to the government’s proposed labor reforms—most notably, a controversial bill that would allow private sector employees to work up to 13 hours a day under certain conditions. The strike, the second of its kind in just one month, brought transport, shipping, and public services to a grinding halt, underscoring the depth of public unease over the planned changes.
According to EFE, the protests paralyzed metro and suburban train services in Athens, with workers briefly resuming operations only to facilitate attendance at the demonstrations. Greek ships remained docked, and train services were suspended nationwide, as reported by Reuters. The disruption was palpable, affecting everything from hospital operations to public broadcasting, as striking doctors and journalists joined the throngs of demonstrators who marched to parliament.
At the heart of the unrest is the government’s draft law, which permits employers and employees in the private sector to mutually agree on working up to 13 hours a day for a maximum of 37 days per year. This would consist of the standard eight-hour workday plus up to four hours of overtime, not exceeding the existing maximum of 48 hours per week (averaged over four months) or 150 overtime hours annually. The bill also introduces greater flexibility in short-term hiring and amends rules on annual leave distribution.
Labour Minister Niki Kerameus, speaking to SKAI TV and as cited by Balkan Insight and EFE, pushed back against the idea that the reform would force Greeks into perpetual overwork. "The public sector is not affected at all by the bill," she stated, emphasizing that the measure targets private sector flexibility. Kerameus further argued, "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." She also stressed that the reform "modernizes" Greece’s labor framework and "adapts it to current business needs," adding that employees cannot be fired for refusing overtime.
Despite these assurances, labor unions and opposition parties remain deeply skeptical. The Federation of Public Sector Employees (ADEDY) and the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE) were at the forefront of the protests, denouncing the bill as a fundamental threat to workers’ rights. In a joint statement quoted by Reuters and Balkan Insight, the unions declared, "Instead of boosting workers' incomes and reinforcing public services, the government chooses to legislate work for multi-employers and gruelling working hours." They further warned that "flexible working hours" in practice mean "the abolition of the eight-hour workday, the dissolution of every concept of family and social life and legalization of overexploitation."
On the streets, the anger was palpable. Demonstrators carried banners reading "Withdraw the 13-hour bill, labor rights will not go back 150 years" and "No to 13 hours of slavery," as reported by EFE. Spiros Vettas, a secondary school teacher participating in the Athens protest, told EFE, "This law is part of a broader policy that destroys collective labor rights." He also voiced concerns about the broader social impact: "We already see more violence and crime in schools, and this will only get worse if parents can’t even see their children because they’re working 13 hours a day." Vettas argued that even public sector workers would feel the effects indirectly, as longer private sector hours would disrupt family routines and after-school schedules.
The divisions among unions became clear as the day unfolded. Although the bill primarily affects private sector workers, GSEE—the largest private sector union—did not formally join the strike, a move criticized by ADEDY. Yorgos Petrópulos, a member of ADEDY’s Executive Committee, told EFE, "It’s incomprehensible that GSEE didn’t call for a strike over an issue that mainly affects the private sector. We took to the streets out of solidarity because we all have friends and relatives in the private sector. But GSEE’s inaction prevented this protest from being even larger."
The government, led by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s conservative party, contends that the reforms are necessary to modernize Greece’s labor market, making it more competitive and flexible in an era of rapid economic change. The bill, which is expected to pass thanks to the government’s absolute parliamentary majority, also includes a 40% overtime bonus for extended hours and maintains protections against dismissal for employees who refuse overtime. According to Reuters, the government claims the reforms will allow for four-day work weeks and extend employee benefits.
Yet, critics argue that the reality on the ground is far less rosy. Greece, despite recent wage increases and falling unemployment after the devastating debt crisis from 2009 to 2018, still has some of the lowest average wages and purchasing power in the European Union, as Eurostat data cited by Reuters and Balkan Insight shows. The country also has the highest proportion of employees working more than 45 hours a week in the EU. Unions warn that in such an environment, the so-called "consent" of employees to work longer hours could be more theoretical than real, given the imbalance of power between employers and workers. GSEE, in a letter to the Labour Ministry, argued that the bill violates the daily rest rule of 11 hours and endangers workers’ health and safety. They noted, "Obtaining an employee’s 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.)."
Opposition parties have joined the chorus of criticism, demanding the withdrawal of the bill. Effie Achstsioglou, a lawmaker with the small New Left party, was blunt in her condemnation, telling parliament, "The 13-hour shift cannot become a reality. It's paid slavery."
While the government insists that the reforms are about choice and flexibility, for many Greeks, the specter of longer hours and weakened collective bargaining rights harks back to a darker era for labor. The outcome of the parliamentary vote, expected on October 15, 2025, will determine whether the government’s vision of a modern, flexible labor market prevails—or if the voices of those who filled the streets in protest will force a reconsideration of the path forward.
