In the extraordinary transfer of work, the retirement limits, the Auxiliary Capital Insurance Fund (TEKA) and the pending pensions, speaking, among others, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Security, Panos Tsakloglou, of ERT.
Six days work
Regarding the emergency shift of work, the Deputy Minister of Labor said that there is no six-day work in Greece and that the measure of emergency shift is only related to businesses that are continuously operating to cover the needs of emergency. According to available data, the number of companies that have used this provision in the first two weeks of July 2024 covers only 0.076% of companies and their branches in Greece.
teak
Regarding TEKA, Mr. Tsakloglou noted that it is a Fund related to all new entrants to the labor market with the obligation of supplemental insurance. “In close cooperation with the administration of TEKA, we are working to remove any obstacles that may delay the smooth operation of the Fund. The default portfolio of the Fund is expected to be ready within this year, while the other two portfolios , a more conservative and a more dangerous one, will be ready in the following years,” he emphasized.
Pending pensions
To a question about pending pensions, the Deputy Minister of Labor replied: “The number of overdue pending pensions has decreased significantly since the present government assumed office. Now, now, we have approached the “hard core” of the problematic cases, but in this category too, the time to grant the pension has been greatly reduced. Today, two major EFKA projects are “running”, namely the digitization of life insurance and the creation of a new, truly integrated, information system. With the completion of these projects, the pension granting process will be almost fully automated.”
Wage Index – Pensions
Regarding the new wage index, he pointed out that a working group has been established, “whose conclusion on the establishment of a new reliable wage index is expected before the end of the year. According to the legislation, starting from next year, the pensionable earnings will be calculated using the wage index and not the consumer price index, as has been the case until now worked.
Regarding the retirement age limits, Mr. Tsakloglou described that all European pension systems are facing the consequences of demographic aging of the population, because in any country the fertility rate is above 2.1 , which is the limit, to keep the native population stable. “Therefore, many countries, including Greece, link the retirement age limits to the life expectancy of pensioners. Due to the fact that the relevant limit in our country has not changed in the previous reporting period , no change in these limits is seen until 2027,” he explained.
coordination
Regarding the topic of punctuality, the Deputy Minister of Labor said that, according to various opinion polls, “punctuality is the most important problem of Greek households today. The government of Greece has taken a series of measures, which are beginning to bear fruit, because the rate of inflation in Greece is slightly below the average in Europe. The main problem is found in food. Based on a recent study by the Bank of Greece , the Greek economy needs more competition, especially in the supply chain sector, while if the effect of indirect taxes on the final prices is isolated, one can see that the prices in Greece are not very different from those in other European countries”.
Migrant workers
Regarding the transfer of workers, Mr. Tsakloglou said that interstate agreements on the transfer of workers have been signed and negotiations are ongoing for the conclusion of other similar agreements, especially for the transfer of workers to sectors such as agriculture and construction. As the Deputy Minister of Labor pointed out, “unemployment may have decreased significantly in the last five years, it remains, however, at a high level compared to other European countries, while the major bottleneck is observed in many sectors of the labor market. Transfers are always the last step in the process of meeting the needs and the first goal is the retraining of the workers so that they meet the needs of the labor market.