On 16 October, the Greek parliament passed a bill allowing private sector employers to extend working hours from the current eight-hour standard to potentially 13-hour shifts. Extended shifts may be applied up to three days per month, with a maximum of 37 days per year. The conservative government frames the measure as an effort to increase labour market flexibility. Greece already has one of the longest average working weeks in Europe, at around 40 hours, compared with 34 hours in Germany and 32 in the Netherlands. The law has prompted two general strikes in October, disrupting public transport and services nationwide.