K. Hatzidakis: Greece in favor of the Directive on European Minimum Wages

“The Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages has much in common with the procedure we followed and is valid in Greece for the definition of the minimum wage,” said the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Kostis Hatzidakis, during his speech today at the Council of European Employment Ministers. Union. The text of the Directive was adopted in the Council as it was formulated after the conclusion of the negotiations with the European Parliament.

The Minister noted that the Directive strikes a balance between the just demand that all workers have a dividend from the growth and the need to safeguard the competitiveness of EU economies. and recalled the significant increase in the minimum wage (7.5% from 1 May, 9.7% cumulatively together with the increase implemented from 1 January) decided by the government this year, after consultation with the social partners and scientific bodies.

“Adequate wages,” he added, “are an essential component of the European Social Model and are good news for European workers.”

At the meeting, the French Presidency briefed the Council on developments in the European Commission’s Proposal for a Directive on improving working conditions on digital platforms.

Mr. Hatzidakis during his intervention, underlined that Greece, recognizing the need to regulate the area in a fair and efficient way, legislated in time for the protection of persons working through the platform. He particularly emphasized the additional protection provided to the self-employed on the platforms, with the possibility to unionize, but also with the coverage of their equipment by the companies with which they cooperate.

In the debate on the “European Semester”, the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs spoke in favor of initiatives that seek to strengthen its social dimension, taking into account national specificities.

There was a special discussion on the progress made in achieving the goals set at the Porto Summit in May 2021 on employment, skills and tackling poverty. Mr. Hatzidakis noted that the government is implementing an ambitious reform program to modernize the labor market, upgrade the Public Employment Service, strengthen the education and training system and strengthen social protection, while advocating for transnational cooperation to improve of the common result.

The Council’s agenda also included the European Strategy for the Employment of Persons with Disabilities, as well as the protection of displaced persons due to the war in Ukraine.

The agenda of the Council also included the approval of the Directive on the balanced representation of the Genders in the Boards of Directors of Listed Companies, which sets as a goal the participation of women in the BoDs. of the specific companies at a rate of 40%.