Greece's parliament on Thursday approved a government-backed bill allowing people to work 13-hour days, despite fierce objections from trade unions and opposition parties.

Unions have staged two general strikes against the reform this month -- the latest on Tuesday -- with thousands of workers protesting against a measure "worthy of the Middle Ages", according to the left-wing Syriza party.

Syriza refused to participate in the vote, and the spokesman for their parliamentary bloc Christos Giannoulis denounced the bill as a "legislative monstrosity".

The government insists that the 13-hour workday is optional, only affects the private sector and can only be applied up to 37 days a year.

The new measure, which is now law and will come into force soon, allows workers to do longer days for

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