Answers to the question submitted by 11 New Democracy MPs to the Ministries of Finance, Interior and Labor regarding the Public Employment Employment Program for unemployed 55 years of age or older The Minister of Labor and Social Security Niki Kerameos provided an interview with SKAI on Saturday, April 5th.
“First of all we have a very dynamic parliamentary group that listens to society. It raises important political issues and this role is very important by the parliamentary group. And in this case it has caught an issue that is really serious. It has to do with a very successful Public Employment Service program, “the minister said.

He clarified that this program is aimed at our unemployed fellow citizens 55 years or older for subsidized employment in municipalities, regions, legal entities public law and helps people at a sensitive age in order to reintegrate the labor market and to establish a right.

At the same time, he noted that this question highlights the importance of this program by demanding its expansion, and stressed that, precisely because of this importance, 32,500 places have already been given, and a few days before 1,000 additional seats were given, reaching a total of 33,500.

He noted, however, that the cost of this program requires significant financial resources, as it has already exceeded EUR 800 million, while reminding that this program is not the normal road staffing of public administration, but is coming to support them with an enlightenment solution with up to two years of employment.

“The regular staffing road is through demands that go to the interior ministry, in -depth demands,” he said, adding that the government is always trying to have more and more resources in successful employment programs.

Referring to the minimum wage, he stressed that it is a “protection shield” for all public and private workers, stressing that from there the social partners are free to agree on better earnings.

“A collective contract has been signed very recently in the tourism industry. It is about a lot of people as you understand. How much minimum wage does it provide for the lowest category? 950 euros. So, 70 euros above what foresees the legislated minimum wage. This is a practical example. “

In addition, he revealed that this week the OTOE collective agreement for the banking industry was also signed. Increases in the minimum wage of up to 25%.

“What we were saying is that there is a minimum wage. Above this, social partners have every opportunity to conclude more favorable conventions, and I tell you by hand in my heart that we want more collective agreements. “

He noted that the rate of coverage of collective agreements is low, noting that two things are needed to improve.

“It takes an institutional framework that favors the conclusion of collective agreements and there we are in a process that we will discuss, with all social partners, ways to introduce new incentives to conclude collective agreements, but need something else: to sit on the same table.”

As for the average salary, the minister noted that it had an upward trend parallel to the minimum.

‘Until the day before, before the new increase, The minimum wage had increased by 27.8%. The average salary had increased by 28.3%, that is, more parallel routes. It increases the minimum, it also captures the average salary. The average salary in our country today, full -time, is close to 1,500 euros, is 1,478 euros. “

He added that the increase in the minimum wage does not come to solve all the problems but comes to reduce some difficulties.

“Is it better to have more 600 euros clean a year? I think it’s better to have more 600 euros clean a year. Is it a panacea? No is the answer. It is a significant improvement compared to where we received the country in 2019, “he said.

Speaking about the Ministry of Labor’s extroversion event held in London last Saturday with the participation of 26 major businesses in the country looking for specialized staff, offering hundreds of high -profile jobs, the minister said that “we consider our debt to be a debt.”

Even citing the latest Eurostat items for the last decade, 420,000 out of 660,000 Greeks who left for abroad have returned in our country.

He recalled that similar actions have been taken in the Netherlands and Germany, while noting that “today we are talking, at the moment, a career day in Chalkida, for example. This conjunction takes place both in the country and outside. Over 9,000 of our fellow citizens have found a job through career days. “