K. Hatzidakis: Our will is a significant increase in the minimum wage

The will of the government for a “significant increase” of the minimum wage was expressed by the Minister of Labor, Mr. Kostis Hatzidakis, speaking in Parliament.

“We are accelerating the determination of the minimum wage this year, as the government intends to have a significant increase in the minimum wage at the end of April. Workers will see a social growth dividend, they will see significant increases in their pockets in a few months.” “.

The relevant statement was made during the debate on the bill of the Ministry of Development in the Plenary Session of the Parliament, analyzing the amendment of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs for the minimum wage and the new leave of the private sector workers when they or their children get coronavirus .

Mr. Hatzidakis noted that with the previous, small, increase in the minimum wage but also thanks to the wider economic policy of the government (reduction of insurance contributions, tax measures, etc.), employees who are paid the minimum wage will have an overall annual increase of their income from 305 to 533 euros. “Now that the economy has entered positive territory, it is obvious that we can move differently towards workers and give greater growth,” he said. “The data speaks of the policies that were implemented during SYRIZA and those that we implement.”

In this context, the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs referred to the data of ELSTAT which showed that unemployment fell to 13.3% last November, from 17.2% in the summer of 2019 and 16.1% in November 2020. “We are talking about reducing unemployment by 4 percentage points in total and 3 in the last year. All this did not happen by chance, it was done due to the tax, fiscal, licensing, labor and insurance policies of the government,” said Mr. Hatzidakis, adding that unemployment in Greece will de-escalate further with the pursued economic policy. He reminded in this context that through OAED’s programs 50,000 new jobs were created within 1.5 years (while 40,000 had been created during the entire four years of SYRIZA’s rule) and it is planned to create another 86,000 jobs for this year, not counting the special program for young people “First Seal” of the Ministry of Labor and the program to cover insurance contributions that will create another 85,000 jobs. He underlined the 9 billion. euros provided by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs to support workers and the unemployed in the midst of a pandemic and announced that the most massive training program would be launched very soon. “We give you the political theatrical performances and we hold the responsibility and the politics with result”, concluded Mr. Hatzidakis.

“Hypocrisy and pseudology of the opposition”

Turning to the other provisions of the amendment concerning the permits that private sector employees receive when they or their children become ill with coronavirus, the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs stressed that two new permits are being introduced, in addition to those already in force, with fast procedures given that no medical opinion is required and the involvement of EFKA, but only the demonstration of a positive test. As for the compensation of these licenses, it reflects the established legislation that has been applied for decades.

Mr. Hatzidakis underlined that “We are now introducing this quick additional leave due to coronavirus for the employees themselves, according to the health protocols that now speak for five days, with the possibility of extension according to the general provisions. For the five days we provide employee compensation during That is, as it has been in force for decades, this provision has been implemented by all the governments of the post-colonial period. of EFKA on the other hand “.

“If you disagree, why did both SYRIZA and PASOK apply the exact same regulation regarding the compensation of employees while you were in power?” asked Mr. Hatzidakis. He continued: “We are introducing a new, additional leave for working parents that will be valid for five days and which can also be extended based on the general provisions. The employer will pay days, as is the case in the previous, fixed and applied by all parties that ruled, on the fourth day it will be covered by the State and on Thursday it will be offset with the normal leave of the employee.

You disagree with the last regulation, for the parents and you bring an amendment for the parents, whose children are sick. Since you are so sensitive, why bring an amendment for extra compensation to parents when their children are sick, and do not bring a corresponding amendment for employees when they themselves are sick? Do you have case sensitivity? If this is not hypocrisy, what is?

Why are you blaming us, because we apply proportionally to the parents whose children are sick a regulation similar to the one you applied? When you apply a setting, it’s good. But, when we bring the same or even a similarly valid regulation, then we are neoliberal and painless. “Here, if you have not made a mistake, for which you have to apologize, you are exposed anyway, because your policy is a classic example of demagogy and hypocrisy”, concluded Mr. Hatzidakis.