“We are not going to show any tolerance to those who circumvent the labor laws. All workers must be paid and will be paid for the hours they work. Thin less. This is the rule and we will not allow any deviation».

This was stated by the Minister of Labor and Social Security, Domna Michailidou, from the floor of the conference for the one year of operation of the Independent Labor Inspection Authority.

“The first year of operation of the Independent Labor Inspection Authority” said Mrs. Michailidou “has been characterized by significant achievements. Last year, 74,000 checks were carried out, 8,000 more than the original plan of 66,000, and fines of more than 45 million euros were imposed. For this year, the minimum number of controls, which will be carried out across the Territory, is at least 67,700, while already, since the beginning of the year, the controls of the Authority have exceeded 14,000 and fines of 8 million euros have been imposed».

At the same time, the Minister of Labor referred to the priorities set by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security for the promotion of equality and diversity in the workplace, the elimination of violence and harassment and the strengthening of measures to combat undeclared work, human trafficking and labor exploitation.

Speaking about the implementation of the Digital Labor Card, Mrs. Michailidou noted that it creates a climate of transparency, reliability and speed in dealing with violations, while building a climate of trust between the control mechanism and the world of work.

Finally, the Minister of Labor and Social Security, Domna Michailidou, emphasized the following:The Independent Labor Inspection Authority is the main “weapon” for strengthening labor legitimacy and protecting workers. An effective Labor Inspection is not just a control mechanism in the workplace, but a process to ensure equality, justice and dignity. For us, defending labor rights and developing a safe and fair working environment is non-negotiable. We are cracking down on undeclared and undeclared work and scaling up targeted controls where third-country nationals are most employed, in seasonal work and in the construction industry».

For his part, the Minister of Health, Adonis Georgiadis, stated – among other things – that the checks carried out by the Labor Inspectorate are constantly increasing and the way in which the checks are carried out, with transparency and efficiency, is noticeably improving.