Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the “unfreezing” of the three years from January 1, 2024 and any seniority allowance, which had been suspended since 2012, from the stage of the 87th International Exhibition of Thessaloniki (TIF).

According to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, the scope concerns all salaried workers in the private sector.

Specifically, the calculation opens from 1/1/2024 and concerns all types of seniority increments, i.e. three years at the bottom or 3 years, 5 years or other scales, defined in active collective agreements.

It is recalled that, with the PYS 6/2012, they were suspended, therefore, they did not “run” and there was no obligation to pay, until unemployment fell below 10%.

However, from 1/1/2024:

A. For those who entered the labor market, after 14/2/2012, they will start to build up the benefit right for the first time.

Therefore, an employee who is currently paid the minimum wage, from 1/1/2024, his time will “run” and he will be entitled accordingly to the seniority of 10% every three years.

That is, 780 euros from 0 to 3 years, 858 euros from 3 to 6 years, 936 euros from 6 to 9 years, 1,014 euros with more than 9 years.

B. For those who were hired before 2/14/2012:

1) Employee hired before 2012 and with 2 years of service: The vesting right of the 1st three-year period is activated on 1/1/2024 and becomes payable upon completion of the three-year period on 1/1/2025, with a 10% increase on the basic salary in force at the time ( e.g. with today’s prices 780+780×0.1=858 euros).

2) Employee hired before 2012 and with 5 years of service: The second three-year vesting right is activated on 1/1/2024 and becomes payable upon completion of six years on 1/1/2025, with a 20% increase on the basic salary in force at that time ( e.g. with today’s prices 780+780×0.2=936 euros).

3) Employee hired before 2012 and with 8 years of service: The right to vest in the first three years is activated on 1/1/2024 and becomes payable upon completion of nine years on 1/1/2025, with a 30% increase on the basic salary in force at the time ( e.g. with today’s prices 780+780×0.3=1,014 euros).

In the case of collective agreements, the above limits are adjusted according to the applicable level of basic salary and increment scale.

In the event that employees have already seen wage increases in the interim from 2012 to 2023 and they exceed those currently in force either at the floor or those set out in the Collective Labor Agreements (CBA), then they are set off against those paid.

It is noted that, according to the data of the “ERGANI” Information System, the average salary in our country is 1,190 euros, i.e. 52% above the minimum.

Also, between 14/2/2012 and 31/12/2023 there will be no claim for retroactive dispute searches.