K. Hatzidakis: The ten goals of the Ministry of Labor for the new year

“You are blaming us for our social policy, but we are responding with work: By increasing social spending, by reducing unemployment, by initiatives that will have a positive impact on the working class, the unemployed, the poorer sections of society.” This was stressed by the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Kostis Hatzidakis, addressing the opposition during his speech in Parliament in the context of the debate on the budget. At the same time, he presented the ten main goals of the Ministry for 2022, committed to achieving them.

As Mr. Hatzidakis underlined, the projected expenditures of the Ministry for 2022 amount to 21.6 billion. increased by 10% in relation to the SYRIZA budget in 2019. The increase, in fact, is reflected in all the individual policies of the Ministry of Labor, both in the labor market policies and in those for the insurance funds, the welfare , equality.

“In pensions, for example, there will be an increase in spending by 316 million euros, mainly due to the award of pensions pending from previous years. In OPEC we will have an increase in family allowances, disability allowances, funds for school meals and other “programs totaling 58 million euros, while there will be a new line, a new line of 100 million euros for the payment of housing allowance by OPEC, as established by the Code of Debt and providing a second chance to borrowers. The numbers speak for themselves!” stressed the Minister.

Continuing, he underlined that the policies implemented by the Ministry have already begun to produce clear results in the social sector, citing specific examples:

First, the more than 9 billion euro measures for the coronavirus to 3 million employed and unemployed, with which we supported people in great need and maintained jobs in a time of great crisis. Second, the reduction of insurance contributions by 3.9%, which alleviated the non-wage costs of companies, and increased the disposable income of employees!

Third, with the intervention of the Law on Labor Protection. With which we followed what is happening in the advanced European countries, combining the goal of strengthening competitiveness with the goal of real protection of workers.

“All these policies, in combination with the tax measures of the Ministry of Finance and the increase of the minimum wage, have had the effect of increasing the disposable income of the employees who are paid with the minimum wage, from 305 to 534 euros per year”, noted Mr. Hatzidakis, adding that “The overall economic policy of the government has resulted in the reduction of unemployment from 17.2% that we received from SYRIZA in July 2019, to 13% last September. The reduction of unemployment by 4 percentage points “According to Eurostat, this is the largest reduction among EU countries. And we continue our effort in 2022 on many different fronts,” he said, describing the Ministry’s priorities for the coming year.

The ten goals for 2022

1. Better utilization of the resources of 5 billion euros of the Recovery Fund and the new NSRF. With programs for training, for the creation of new jobs, for the vulnerable social groups: The disabled, the mothers, the young.

2. Implementation of the Digital Work Card which is a guarantee for the employees’ hours and establishment of the new Independent Labor Inspection Authority that will ensure independence in the controls.

3. New bill for the modernization of OAED and the training system in Greece. In order not to waste resources and to make training an essential resource for the future of the employed and the unemployed.

4. Operation of the TEKA Auxiliary Insurance Fund, as a result of the Insurance Reform for the New Generation. Which introduces the “individual piggy banks” in the supplementary pensions of young people and creates the conditions for them to receive allowances that will be – as European experience shows – greater than 43% to 68% of the current ones.

5. Disability Card for 180,000 disabled people and activation of the Personal Assistant, initially for 1,000 of our fellow human beings with severe disabilities.

6. “Neighborhood Nanny” program for the care of infants aged from two months to 2.5 years in areas where there is not a high density of nurseries. And the creation of 120 childcare units within large companies for 2,500 infants and toddlers.

7. Improving citizen service. Mr. Hatzidakis made a special mention of the single number 1555, to which – as he said – more than 700,000 calls have been made in less than 5 months, with an immediate response rate that closes the issue to 85%

8. Continue the effort for pensions. “2021 is a record year, as at the end of November we have already exceeded 200,000 pension awards. Next year we will do even better and by the end of the first half of 2022 we will solve the issue of outstanding main pensions”

9. EFKA modernization bill. As the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs said, “Efforts to award outstanding pensions and better service through 1555 are not enough. We want to lay a solid foundation for the substantial upgrade of the most troubled public administration. The new “Management methods that we are introducing will make the daily lives of the employees themselves easier. But also the lives of the 6.5 million insured, who owe nothing to suffer for decades from the public administration.”

10. Minimum wage. The procedures for a new increase in the minimum wage will start very soon, which will reflect the growth of the economy and will lead to a social growth dividend for the workers.

“Employees, the unemployed, retirees, the disabled, the weaker strata are at the heart of our policy. Not in words, but in deeds. We give you words, because we give answers every day with deeds,” concluded Mr. Hatzidakis. .