Controversial new labour laws set to shake up working life in Greece

Critics claim employment law reforms will abolish eight-hour day and are Thatcherite policies on steroids'

Greece is set for the biggest shake-up of working life in decades after its pro-business government sought to brand parliament's passage of controversial labour laws as a fresh start for a nation once at the centre of Europe's financial crisis.

The passage of legislation described as antediluvian by opponents and positively life-changing by supporters came within hours of the EU's top executive arriving in Athens on Thursday to endorse a post-pandemic recovery plan for the country.