By Chrysostomos Tsoufis

With 5+1 measures, the government will attempt to boost the incomes of 700,000 in 2025 civil servants who – no matter how one sees it – are also the… least benefited so far from the government’s initiatives (even more so when the Ministry of Finance makes it clear that the… door of their return to 14 salaries with Christmas gifts and Easter and leave allowance remains hermetically sealed due to cost).

Connection of minimum – introductory salary in the State – Horizontal increases

With the consecutive ones increases at the bottom salary in recent years we have reached the point where it has come “dangerously” close to the introductory salary in the State. €830 the first, €850 the second. Therefore, a direct connection of the 2 is foreseen so that they go together as follows:

That is, if on April Fool’s Day the minimum wage increases by €40 to €870, the introductory rate will increase by €20 to “catch” it.

Corresponding increases as a consequence will also exist in the next steps to maintain the distances between employees with different years of service and different grades.

Given that the government’s goal is for the minimum wage to reach €950 in 2027, it is reasonable to expect a €100 increase in the State’s entry salary over the next three years. An increase that will cost the public coffers around €500m with around €100m expected to be allocated this year.

Goal Achievement Bonus

According to the draft law of the Ministry of the Interior that is in public consultation, the allowance is extended to the entire State (even regions and municipalities) except for legal entities under private law.

The allowance will have a “ceiling” of 15% of the annual salary and all permanent civil servants with open-ended contracts participating in the target setting and evaluation will be able to claim it. Fiscal cost €40m

Night allowance of uniforms

The hourly compensation increases from €2.77 to 3.33%, an increase of 20%. By service the “nights” vary from 10 to 64 hours per month. A uniformed person with 64 hours is estimated to see a net increase in their monthly earnings of €22 (€36 gross). The cost of the measure is €25 million, while the leadership of the Ministry of Finance declares that it is ready to support the uniformed officers further when the necessary fiscal space arises.

Uniformed persons ALSO benefit from the measure of horizontal increases.

Incentive to attract doctors to barren areas

From up to €100/month today it increases to €200 up to €600 if it comes to the 18 specialties which are in significant shortage such as pathologists and anesthesiologists. It affects around 3,300 doctors – the rest of the health professions have expressed complaints about their exclusion – with the aim of increasing this. Annual budget cost €16m.

And doctors benefit from the measure of horizontal increases.

Independent taxation of medical services

From 2025 doctors’ on-call services (which are increased by 20%) will not be added to the doctors’ taxable income, increasing the taxation rates, but will be taxed independently at a rate of 22%.

Depending on the geographical zone and the doctor’s rank, the monthly benefit starts from €100 and can reach up to €250, for example for a manager in the third geographical zone. Annual budget cost 40m

Reduction of contributions

The reduction of insurance contributions by one unit (half for the employee and half for the employer from the health sector) INCLUDES both civil servants and special salaries (doctors, uniformed, university, judicial).