The news agency received eight files immediately in response Minister of Labor Mrs. Niki Kerameos took over the Ministry of Labour, a critical post that directly reflects society.
The main issues of the ministry concern the stabilization of wages – something that is a central commitment of the government – as well as the further reduction of unemployment, which seems to “resist” the rates. which is more than 10%.
In addition to this, a series of measures that are the main axes of the new insurance bill to be voted on in the fall remain pending. But let’s look at all the open issues facing the new minister.
The hot foreheads
Salaries – contracts. Setting the average wage at 1,500 euros at the end of the four-year period (2027) is the government’s big bet. However, many expressed the opinion that this without the restoration of collective agreements is almost impossible. However, the government and the Ministry of Labor should have until October to incorporate the relevant European directive on the adequate minimum wage into Greek law. This directive requires member states to cover at least 80% of their employees with collective labor agreements that determine the amount of wages.
It should be noted that in our country the percentage of employees covered by collective agreements is less than 30%. A committee has been established in the Ministry of Labor to study the process of adopting the directive with the objective of: Promoting collective bargaining to determine wages, promoting an adequate level of legal minimum wages and promoting effective access to all workers to protection in the form of the minimum wage.
Unemployment. Unemployment still remains at a level above 10% (in April it was at 10.8%), which means that we have reached the “hard core” of the problem and its reduction is clearly more difficult and more slowly. The bet in the next period is to lower the percentage of the problem below 10%, with the creation of stable and quality jobs. It is also necessary to maintain three years of minimum wage benefits, which depend on the level of unemployment.
Unemployment benefits. Changes to the unemployment benefit are imminent, with a redesign of the way the benefit is calculated, as well as an increase in its duration. The Prime Minister mentioned Mr. K. Mitsotakis addressed this issue in his first interview after the European elections, saying that the unemployment benefit “must not be a disincentive to work” and that “we don’t want people to be addicted to some benefits, only and only to keep them from working.”
According to the information, the new unemployment benefit will be “directly linked” to the salary, but also to the work and life insurance of the unemployed. It can even be up to 70% of the average monthly income of the last three years. This will be valid for a certain period of time and will gradually decrease until the end of the subsidy period.
Solidarity Contribution: In autumn, changes are expected in the Pensioner Solidarity Contribution (EAS), which concerns more than 500,000 pensioners with an income of more than 1,400 euros. The improved version of the EAS will be implemented from 2025. The purpose of the Ministry of Labor, which has been working on scenarios to reduce the burden for months, is to benefit pensioners without losing resources for the budget, as annual income from The EAS E feeding AKAGE amounts to 730 million euros. We remind you that the monthly restraints for the solidarity contribution for the main pensions have been moved from 3% to 14%, while the restraint also applies to those in excess of 300 euros.
Widow’s pensions. The Ministry of Labor is preparing to cut widow’s pensions in the private sector for reasons of equality because the relevant law has been applied to the State and the OGA from 2020. The cut is estimated to be concerned with more than 60,000 beneficiaries of widow’s pensions in the private sector after 2016, where the provision stipulating that the widow’s pension will be reduced from 70% of the original to 35% is not applied if, after the first three years from to pay it, the widow or widower works or receives their own pension. . The application of the law has a retroactive effect, but the solutions are considered not to be overly burdensome to the pensioner.
Pensioners with working disabilities. A provision is being prepared to remove obstacles to the continued employment of disabled pensioners. The proposed provision will solve the problem so that the disability retirement can continue without interruption of work.
Uniform Regulation of EFKA Benefits and Insurance. Benefits such as sickness, maternity, work accident and disability benefits are under the microscope. The goal is to establish uniform regulations for cash benefits for all funds that participate in EFKA, because as a body there should be uniform rules for all its insured.
Reduction in employer contribution. This is a measure that has already been announced by the government and it involves reducing contributions by one percentage point. The reduction will be made in two stages, the first in 2025 at 0.5 and the next one at the end of four years in 2027.